Darkmoon
by KA
Summary: A group of 10 racially-diverse warriors join forces to take down an evil priest and his vile Waterdeep temple. Complete AD&D novel. *NOTE* I'm looking for an artist to render the characters featured in this novel!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Within the Assembly hall of the Waterdeep, an important meeting was taking place. A group of warriors was to be chosen to lead an attack on the city's most potential threat. Temple Darkmoon, under the lordship of high-priest Dran Draggore, was being blamed for several disappearences; the temple was the current word on the lips of most every resident within the Waterdeep. **

**Khelben Blackstaff, the city's archmage, deduced that the temple was a great source of evil. Therefore the temple had to be destroyed. Khelben discussed the project with the lords of the Waterdeep and it was a unanimous decision that Temple Darkmoon was to fall as soon as possible. Sending an army would prove useless and would botch the whole affair; there would have to be a group of people chosen to infiltrate and nullify the temple from within its own ranks. Thus the reason for that particular day's assembly.**

**At the head of the long oak table, Khelben Blackstaff stood confidently, "Fellow lords," he began grandly, "the purpose of this gathering is to introduce the team I have chosen to send forth to Temple Darkmoon." He waited for the murmurs to cease and continued, "I have chosen eight individuals, each of which are reknown for their abilities in their own class." The room was quiet now and Khelben had full control, "In this state of mind I will bring forth my team that you may witness the people who will save our city!" He sat down and gestured to a nervous-looking man that stood beside a door at the far end of the room. The man disappeared inside the adjoining room for a few moments and then the eight members of the newly-assembled party entered the Assembly hall.**

**The lords whispered and pointed to certain individuals and then Khelben silenced them all with his next words, "I'm sure you've all seen some of these people within the Waterdeep in the past few weeks, that's because they've been receiving instructions as well as executing some last-minute training." He explained it all rather haughtily but no lord bothered to comment, "So, I will present them to you all for those of you who cannot associate the faces with the names." He cleared his throat and rubbed his black beard as all the lords turned to examine the eight warriors.**

**"The leaders of the team come from Myth Drannor; we were very pleased when they accepted the assignment; fighters from there possess a very good reputation." Khelben said and two females stepped foreward, pushing and shoving. The two women smiled and looked as though they were on the verge of bursting out in sobs of laughter; both were armed and seemed fidgety. Khelben waited as the lords stared and inspected the two ladies with their hawk-like glances, and then spoke, "This is Elyxya," He said and the woman on the left nodded curtly, "and this is Meeks." He continued, and the woman on the right waved and chuckled. The lords quieted and seemed over-all pleased with the leaders; they were both of medium height and of strong build, one carried a jeweled sword and the other a polearm. They seemed a little odd, but they would do.**

**"Next we have the caretakers of the group; the clerics." Khelben said as the two leaders stepped aside to allow two others by. There was a man and a woman; they both looked incredibly serious. "This is our high-priestess Sindel," The city's archmage proclaimed and the blonde woman decked in blue robes gave the group of lords a discriminating look before staring out the window, "and this is our high-priest Will." Khelben said a little less enthusiastically, discouraged from the dirty look the priestess had given him and his companions. The man smiled warmly and it became obvious to the lords that he was the more approachable of the two clerics.**

**"We had the luck to pay a visit to the Underdark." Khelben began, "We went to both Menzoberranzan and Ched-Nasad, the infamous Drow cities that all white-elven folk shun. From there, we got our mages." Two dark elves stepped foreward; a female, smiling shyly and a male, who looked as though smiling was not his favorite thing to do. The lords whispered their comments and Khelben continued, "Pryzma is from Ched-Nasad," the female wrapped her arms around herself protectively, "and Masoj is from Menzoberranzan." The male gave all the lords a cold stare.**

**Khelben frowned at the dark elves and then said, "And last but not least, our two thieves." The two Drow moved aside to reveal two women at the back of the group. Both looked like complete opposites; one of them was quiet and stood still, the other practically jumped up and down with exitement. "This is Izzy," Khelben said and the jumpy one bounded forward and grinned, holding her arms out for the world to see her. "and this is Nightshade, not only is she a thief but a mage too." The quiet woman with long black hair didn't move an inch and then suddenly turned away to look at the others of her group.**

**The group of eight warriors gathered again and Khelben ended the day's meeting, "And so lords, these are the individuals that have been chosen by my people to rid us of Darkmoon. They have been provided with healing salves, parchments and enough food to last them a week in case of emergency." He slipped away from the table and approached the party slowly, and headed for the two leaders. The two women stared at him as he approached and smiled suspiciously when he stepped before them, "I will give this to one of you." He produced a small golden coin from beneath his robes and handed it to the woman with red hair. "You must keep it safely with you at all times; I will use it to contact you telepathically." He explained as the red haired woman, Elyxya, held the coin out before her for the other woman, Meeks, to see.**

**"And one more thing." Khelben said and the two women barely seemed to listen, "Two nights ago I sent forth a scout; Amber. She has not yet returned and I fear for her safety. If you should see her, bring her back to me as soon as you are capable." He ordered and he heard a derivative sneer from someone within the party. Meeks and Elyxya looked up at Khelben and nodded, "Yes sir." Elyxya said shortly. **

**Khelben returned to the table and all the lords got up, "This concludes our meeting. I hope to see you again soon with some good news on this matter." He said and all exited the Assembly hall in murmurs and whispers. **

***Back to MQ's Works Index***


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER I**

**Everyone's a critic**

**The west woods were calm and resembled a cat waiting to pounce. Trees towered overhead and dry leaves on the ground left a noisy legacy of those who walked the desolate paths. The woods weren't big, but they were large enough to get lost in; not to mention confusing enough too. Fewer and fewer people walked the paths every year; the west woods had become a `hands-off' area for most, but for others...**

**"I wish you all the best of luck," Khelben said lightly although his stance revealed him eager to leave the gloomy place, "and you must remember that the city is counting on you." The group of eight warriors were dispersed and didn't look as though they would stick together for long, each of them was glancing about and clutching his or her belongings as though the trees themselves would steal them from their hands. Khelben paused and then cleared his throat, "If it makes all of you feel better, the weather is predicted to be pleasant for the entire day, and probably into the night also." He announced, holding up a finger. No one responded to his declaration and he folded his arms, scowling "Just remember to keep the golden coin I gave you safely; it is of utmost importance to your quest, and to my knowledge of how you all are faring." He caught a few glances for less than the blink of an eye and began to wonder if he had done the right thing in assembling this particular group of people. But talent was talent, he told himself, and these individuals were exactly what the job required.**

**Elyxya, who had been busy fiddling with her sword and had heard nothing of what Khelben had just said, intercepted Khelben as the archmage was turning to leave, "Hey, when do you think we'll reach the temple?" She asked and squinted as a ray of sun that penetrated the trees above blinded her momentarily. Khelben sighed, "Oh, if you're lucky...by later tonight." He answered and Elyxya nodded. Khelben waved goodbye to the party and, as he had come to expect, received a return wave from no one except Izzy. He hurried away shaking his head.**

**"What are you waving at?" Nightshade asked sharply as she stepped up beside Izzy and gave the girl a shove. Izzy whirled on her companion and put her hands to her hips, "Well didn't you see? Khelben waved goodbye and none of you even bothered to wave back, " She threw her thick red hair back, "I bet you guys didn't even listen to what he said either." She remarked. Nightshade opened her mouth to speak but a voice from her right sounded first.**

****

**"Get off it, Izzy...if your name's Izzy." Pryzma spat, appearing beside Nightshade and sending Izzy back on her heels. "It's always the same thing he says anyway. He's been saying the same damn thing since arrived here; so we didn't listen to him, so what? Did he say anything important?" She asked and looked the thief up and down. Nightshade smiled; she'd been pulled from her home to join this mission and she sincerely thought that she wouldn't get along with anyone within the group, but now things seemed to be looking up for her as she watched Pryzma mouth off.**

**Izzy batted her eyelashes and then smiled sweetly, "He said that the weather'll be nice today." She concluded and truthfully expected a positive reaction from the two women before her; little did she know... "Uh-huh, and you think he's as good a weather man as he is a small-talker? You must be as stupid as I've heard you to be." Pryzma retorted, completely annihilating the pleasant expression on Izzy's face. Nightshade whistled and patted Pryzma's back, "Good job, that was beyond burn." She praised and the dark-elven mage turned to her and smiled back, "Thank you, you know there's nothing quite like puting simple minds back into their place." She said pointedly. Nightshade burst out laughing and led Pryzma away from the dumbfounded Izzy that remained rigid at her back, "You said it, sister!" She cheered and the two walked off talking rapidly about god only knows what.**

**About fifty feet ahead of the entire group, our two leaders passed comments on everything they saw; it was their form of getting to know each other.**

**"This forest blows." Meeks said bluntly and swung her polearm at a fallen tree; the blade of the enormous weapon swooshed past the dry log. Elyxya sniffled and looked up at the sky, without paying attention whatsoever as to where she walked, "True, I've seen much prettier woods. I really think it's the Waterdeep though...the whole city, that is...it blows." She said and looked around at the world about her. They were ahead of the group and if they wouldn't have known their was a group behind them, they wouldn't have been able to tell it was there; they could only make out about two or three voices...when those people were speaking loud. **

** Elyxya turned to Meeks, "Do you think the crew behind us is really any good?" She asked dully and studied Meeks' face as she thought. "I don't know," Meeks responded thoughtfully, "I've never seen any of 'em fight, I've only said hello...once. I don't even remember most of their names." She kicked a stone and it flew off to the side. Elyxya shrugged in acknowledgement. Both Meeks and Elyxya had known each other before the assembling of the party; they came from Myth Drannor and shared the same neighbourhood. Of course they hadn't known each other personally until two weeks ago when Khelben called them to his aid. The two trained together to learn to complement each other's moves and had taken to each other almost immediately. **

**A bird chirped above and a squirrel scampered away as Meeks walked by, "You know what?" She asked Elyxya. "What?" Elyxya said almost inaudibly. "I can't wait to get to the temple so we can fight." Meeks confessed, letting her anxious and fidgety side come to the surface. She peered over at her friend and then, in a surge of energy, both of them raised their weapons and yelled, "Kick some cleric butt!".**

**"Kick some cleric butt my-" Sindel grumbled from behind the two child-like warriors. She was the oldest of the entire party; in her thirties and an accomplished high-priestess of the temple of Tymora. She resided within the Waterdeep and was the first to have been summoned for the quest. She knew all the lords of the Waterdeep and despised each and every one of them; she blamed them for the destruction of a temple she once led. Her accusations were justified though, because the lords did bring the down the temple...but not for ill purpose; unfortunately, Sindel never chose to believe that. But hell, Sindel seemed to have a grudge against every living soul, so why not add the names of the lords of the Waterdeep to the list?**

**The hem of Sindel's thick blue robe snagged a branch and she tore at it roughly, "Oh for the love of god...every time I come outside...just let go you stupid branch, what did I ever do to you...LET GO!!!" She shouted suddenly and a hand gently removed the robe from the branch. She turned in a swirl of blonde hair and got ready to sneer at whoever touched her robe, "Alright, who dares to touch me?" She said raspily and looked up at Will, the other cleric of the group. He stood calmly by her side and waved curtly, "Hi." He said and Sindel drew herself up to appear imposing; indeed she did but Will didn't let it get to him, "I heard you mumbling...and then talking...and then swearing...and then screaming, so I decided to see what was the matter." He explained and smiled, fully expecting and awaiting Sindel's imminent, arrogant reaction.**

**"I need help from no one, especially not clerics of some god not worth mentioning!" She hissed and gave Will a long, diminutive stare. The insult affected Will a little more than he had imagined, "Fine you insolent snake-haired wretch!" He yelled impulsively; once again Sindel had gone to far and patient Will had not been able to hold himself back. Sindel and Will trained together as Meeks and Elyxya had but, although they made an absolutely amazing team, found it almost impossible to co-operate with each other. Will was normally a patient, pleasant person to be around and had made a huge effort to withstand Sindel's verbal torture, but sometimes she was too much for him and he lost his good sense. There were isolated times when they did work together, though...**

**"No, of course you don't need help you hag," Masoj Hun'ett purred from a safe distance behind the two clerics, "you could have unhooked that robe all by yourself; you would have torn the damn thing to bits but hey, you would have gotten it off that branch!" He tightened his hold on his spellbook and took a deep breath to calm himself. Masoj had met Sindel a few days ago and she had snubbed him ever since; from that day forth both hadn't been able to come within thirty feet of each other without wanting to kill one-another. "You're lucky Will can stand to be around you, that poor senseless man." Masoj commented under his breath and smoothed his velvet robe. He looked behind him and saw Pryzma and Nightshade talking, and trailing behind them he saw Izzy; he hurried a little more so that Izzy would not see him travelling alone and join him. He felt out of place out of the Underdark, and alone; even though Pryzma, his fellow dark elf, was with him on this mission. Everything was so warm and alive, and the sun's rays were driving him mad...but he'd hold out. **

**Masoj squinted and looked past the two clerics that were presently ignoring each other. He could just make out the figures of Meeks and Elyxya; he smiled. Those two would definitely keep him from going mad, they were so odd and energetic...surely they would pull a chuckle from him sooner or later; but for that he would have to walk up ahead of Sindel and Will. **

**He drew another breath and picked up the pace, coming up behind the two clerics. He fought the urge to slap Sindel on the back of the head and walked by her quickly; she uttered a loud `hmph' as he walked by and he mimicked her...loud enough for her to hear, of course. Masoj grinned once he was ahead and slowed as he trailed behind the two leaders.**

** The west woods' paths were winding and confusing; all the trees resembled one-another and no sounds could help as milestones. It was early morning and although the sun was bright, very few rays actually penetrated the thick foliage looming overhead. To the party's misfortune, all eight members followed unconsciously the two people who really had no sense in direction; the two themselves didn't even bother to notice their inaptitude until they crossed a familiar stone for the second time.**

**"Wait a second, " Meeks frowned and bent to pick up the small stone at her feet, "I kicked this stone a while back..." She observed the stone for no particular reason and Elyxya came up beside her, "We're going in circles, Meeks." She remarked suddenly, shocked at the words. The two ladies stared at each other for a moment when a smooth voice broke the silence.**

**"Damn. Um, how do you think this happened?" Masoj asked, stepping between the two fighters; both turned slowly and faced him, "Well?" He asked again. Elyxya stared past Masoj, the rest of the group had noticed their halt and were coming up to join them, "I don't know...it just happened. We were talking..." She explained and motioned to her companion for help. Masoj raised an eyebrow, "Were you guys watching where you were going?" He tried tentatively and flinched as Sindel's voice sounded from behind him, irritating to his keen ears.**

**Meeks planted the butt of her polearm in the ground and looked the Drow wizard in the eye, "You see...well...no. No we weren't." She admitted and nodded slowly, puting on her most serious face and examining Masoj's reaction. Masoj continued his staring contest with Meeks and held back the words `I didn't think so' when Sindel came up beside him, followed by Will.**

**"Oh for love of god!" The high-priestess cried, throwing up her hands in defeat, "We've been walking for over a half an hour and you haven't even been watching where we were going? Neither of you?" She demanded furthermore. Will patted her shoulder, "Neither were you." He added in, and jerked back when Sindel growled back at him. Soon Nightshade and Pryzma joined the confused crew and Izzy too; the little thief tried to get a good spot within the circle but Pryzma and Nightshade pushed her out simultaneously, grinning at each other. When the grumbling had died, Elyxya spoke, "Ok, fine. Does anyone actually know how to travel properly? These woods aren't very big and I don't think Khelben would be happy to know that his team of heroes got jammed in the woods." She said harshly and looked at everyone in turn.**

**Faces went blank, others averted their gaze and finally one pair of eyes remained. "Me!" Izzy yelped, pushing past Nightshade and Pryzma and holding up her hand like a school girl asking a question, "I can travel properly!" She stood proudly amidst her teammates and smiled like a jackal. Elyxya shrugged at the volunteer, "Alright then Izzy, the front is yours." She declared and grabbed Meeks' arm, pulling her back to let the curly-haired thief through. Izzy took a few moments and stared about her; everyone watched as though she might turn around at any moment and declare that the whole group had wandered into oblivion. Who knows how much time Izzy would have taken if Nightshade wouldn't have walked up and pushed her forward, sending the group on its way once more.**

**"So; don't wanna travel with Izzy, huh?" Meeks asked lightly, looking up at Masoj who had joined the two `retired' leaders. Masoj frowned, "No." He said shortly and hugged his spellbook to his chest. Meeks chuckled and examined a tree as she walked by it, "I don't blame you; I heard she's a big ditz and if you ask me, from what I just saw-" She stopped walking and held her hand up, "Me! I can travel properly!" She imitated in a mocking voice and continued walking, "-yep, she's a ditz." She concluded. She looked over at Masoj and the mage burst out laughing, "Oh my god, that's pretty good! That's damn good!" He exclaimed and suddenly felt less bitter than he had earlier. Meeks smiled proudly at her joke, "That's right, but I won't pick on her; I think that the job's been taken by those two other girls." She said, pointing to Nightshade and Pryzma who were on either side of Izzy up ahead. **

**Elyxya coughed from the dust she was kicking up and closed her blue eyes, "I'm hungry." She said and turned to Meeks and Masoj for a positive response. Meeks frowned and nodded, "Yeah, me too." She said and Masoj's jaw dropped, "What??? We just had breakfast a little over an hour ago!" He commented and threw out his arms. Both warriors blinked and their weapons clanged as they brushed against each other, "Precisely." Elyxya spat, nodding her head and pushing back a lock of her long red hair. Meeks smiled her agreement and Masoj shook his head disapprovingly; this would prove to be quite a trip...**

**The small team walked the west woods for another approximately fifteen minutes and Izzy found the clearing in the trees leading to the temple. Her glory was short lived; the persistent nagging of Pryzma and Nightshade wrung her spirit of whatever bit of pride it could have acquired. Sindel was anxious to get onto clerical grounds (even though they weren't of her religion) and Will always stayed close by to keep her from doing, or saying, anything irrational. Once the party was out in the open again, Elyxya and Meeks regained the lead and ran ahead, screaming like barbarians; Masoj pulled his cloak about his slender shoulders and hoped the mission would go well. **


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER II**

**Temple Darkmoon**

**Temple Darkmoon's titan-sized stone doors were wide open to the public - even though, by Sindel's knowledge of Waterdeep clerical affairs, hardly anyone visited this particular temple. The building itself stood imposingly atop a ground elevation that composed of a huge clearing at the far end of the west woods; a long winding dirt path led the way to the temple's entrance. Sounds were scarce, and so was life...**

**The mismatched group arrived within the temple a little hesitantly; all except for Meeks and Elyxya, that is - but aren't they always the exception? The two leaders burst into the building's richly decorated lobby and looked around at what surrounded them. There was no carpeting on the floor and that was a good thing; Meeks and Elyxya's boots were dirty and they had left a muddy mess behind them when they barged into the small haven. Directly ahead of them, there stood a closed door with the temple's insignia carved on it; on either side of the door were walls, and to their left there was a small alcove. Thick crimson banners adorned the walls and tainted windows sported the temple's insignia as the door did. **

**"Can we be of service?" Asked an unfamiliar voice from behind Elyxya and Meeks; both turned to face two smiling clerics - that were not Sindel (obviously, they were smiling...) and Will. "Uh..." Blurted Meeks as the rest of her crew entered the building; she smiled at them and she and Elyxya hurried over to join them. The two smiling clerics watched the spectacle without saying a word, and then, "Greetings! Welcome to Darkmoon!" The female cleric said; a blonde woman that was a tad yonger than Sindel but that Will eyed thoughfully. The woman spoke cheerily and the eight warriors listened, not sure what to do, "I am Nadia and this is my -uh-" She paused for a noticeable split-second, "-brother Joril!" She exclaimed, puting emphasis on the word `brother'. She made the mistake of making eye-contact with Sindel and the older priestess gave her one of her patented `you suck' looks.**

**The male cleric, Joril, took over for his `sister', "You must be weary from your journey, stay and rest. We will watch over you." He said smoothly and flashed the party a wholesome smile, that was not - Pryzma remarked - reflected in his opaque brown eyes. "Thank you, we will take our time." Will answered quickly, elbowing Sindel roughly as she opened her mouth to say something useless. The group walked over to the little alcove to their left and the two helpful clerics retreated outside the temple doorway to talk.**

**Nightshade plopped down beside Pryzma, "Weary? We're not weary! What are we doing here? Why don't we just kill 'em both and get on with it?!" She whispered quickly to whoever wanted to hear. Pryzma cocked her head to the side, "Yeah, the man's eyes were not sincere. If his `sister' hasn't raised enough suspicion yet." She added to her friend's protest; she brought her knees up against her chest and leaned her chin on her knees. Will and Sindel, who had joined the two women in the alcove, paced back and forth, "We want to get beyond that door," Will remarked, pointing to the door bearing the temple's insignia; Meeks and Elyxya had wandered to the opposite end of the lobby and were giggling about an odd carving on the wall of four clouds blowing in the wind. "We're going to have to get around the two clerics, but I don't know if killing them is the right thing to do." Will finished and leaned against the wall. **

**"What do you mean?" Nightshade asked from the floor. Will frowned, "Well, perhaps we could get around them...they're outside, are they not?" He commented, trying his best to hatch a plan. The high-priest's answer did not traverse Nightshade's head, "So...why can't we just kill 'em?" She asked again, holding up her short sword before her eyes and watching the gleam of the blade as the sun's rays penetrating the stained glass caressed its sleek surface. Will sighed hopelessly, "Sindel, why don't you explain? I don't want to end up doing all the talking." He said sharply and caught the other cleric's shoulders. She roughly pulled herself from his grasp and blinked, "Then perhaps you should start doing the thinking." She snapped at Will viciously, and turned her back to him to avoid his response, "You see, Nightshade, Will's a pussy and we will kill the two clerics...don't you worry." She said sweetly and both Nightshade and Pryzma smiled widely.**

**"This carving blows." Meeks said as she touched the stone cloud carving; the thing was bigger than she and covered a good part of the wall before her. "Everything blows for you doesn't it?" Elyxya remarked, nudging Meeks and running the blade of her sword along the grooves in the stone. Meeks nodded and flung back her black ponytail, "Yep. No doubt about it. But I mean this carving blows literally; look at the clouds, they're blowing..." She said in response. The two could hear a heated conversation going on on the other side of the room and didn't care to join in; no one shared their views anyway. Elyxya flung herself suddenly away from the wall and pointed her sword at Meeks, "No...no...not everything blows for you, that's not true!" She said loudly and then bent close and spoke in a raspy whisper, "There are some good things." She said and then waved her sword emphatically. **

**Meeks leaned on her polearm and put her hand to her hip, "Like?" She asked skeptically. Elyxya squealed excitedly and giggled. She spun around and pointed at Masoj with her sword; the dark wizard was staring at one of the thick tapestries on the left side of the closed door. Izzy was there too and was talking excitedly, and Masoj seemed to be trying to get away from her. Meeks grimaced, "What???" She cried out loud and then sank back against the wall before the two temple clerics came inside and told her she was being loud and obnoxious (like so many people had over the years...).**

**Elyxya smiled smugly at her pal, "I saw the way he laughed at your Izzy joke back in the woods." She purred and watched Meeks' jaw drop. "Elyxya!" Meeks whispered harshly and shoved her hard enough to throw her a little off balance, "You laugh at my jokes, and so does Pryzma and Nightshade, and Will and Sin-" She stopped short, "-well not so much Sindel...but you know what I'm trying to say!" She peered over Elyxya's shoulder at Masoj and averted her gaze when he turned to see what all the commotion was about. "It was the first time he'd ever heard one of my jokes, so he thinks I'm funny...so what? So does everyone else!" She protested and wedged her polearm between her and Elyxya. The red-headed warrior threw up her hands in defeat, "Alright, okay, settle down there Meeks...jeez," She attempted to put on a straight face and Meeks bought it, "but I still think he likes you!" She cried overly loud and propelled herself away from the now enraged Meeks who came running at her. Meeks threw herself at Elyxya and both of them fell to the ground, their weapons flying over the stone floor in a loud screech; they tumbled and tore at each other and the two temple clerics peered inside to see what was happening. Elyxya waved at them and they waved back with confused expressions on their faces and looked away. **

**Masoj and Izzy overheard Elyxya's last few words (as the rest of the temple had) and had turned just in time to see the two hit the floor and begin to fight. Masoj though, watched in curiosity as he noticed that both women were smiling; could they just be fooling around like young animals? He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest; so maybe he'd be getting the laugh he'd bargained for after all!**

**Pryzma watched Meeks and Elyxya in amazement and pointed, "Look, they're...fighting." She uttered and Nightshade, Will and Sindel paused their argument to look at the two leaders. They were still tumbling and tearing but they were laughing too; Masoj and Izzy watched the spectacle from the closed door. "Lookit 'em go!" Nightshade cheered and grinned. Sindel shook her head, "And they are our leaders?" She asked pointlessly and looked over at Will for a rational thought pattern. Will looked at Sindel then at the two on the floor, "Give 'em a chance, let them be." He said and patted Sindel's shoulder. She grumbled as the two fighters rolled away from each other and held their stomachs as they burst into hysterical fits of laughter. **

**"Oh help me." Sindel said and looked up at the ceiling.**

**Beside Sindel, Will began to worry that the two fighters were causing too much commotion and that the temple clerics might throw them out. He stalked out into the centre of the lobby and litterally pulled Meeks and Elyxya back to the alcove where Nightshade and Pryzma snickered. Masoj followed, and Izzy bolted to catch up with him, he jumped back in surprise and grimaced when she caught up with him.**

**"You suck, Izzy!" Cried Pryzma from the floor, just loud enough for the dainty thief to hear; unfortunately, Izzy pretended to not hear. **

**When everyone was gathered, Sindel spoke up, "We've decided that we're not going to kill the two temple clerics-" She shot a devious stare in Will's general direction, "-and that we're just going to go around them." She looked into the seven pairs of eyes watching her and registered in awe the different expressions. Outside, Nadia and Joril's voice could be heard, they spoke in hushed tones and once in a while you could hear one of them chuckle.**

**"How? How do we `go around' them, they're right there!" Elyxya asked, motioning to the temple's exit. She had miraculously gotten over her mood to laugh but continued to smile michievously at Meeks whenever she could. Will coughed and crouched down near Izzy, who was (unbelievably) sitting driectly beside Nighshade and Pryzma, "We're going to lock 'em outside, of course! Killing them would probably set off some sort of `alarm' and we'd definately be caught right here. I don't know if there are any entrances anywhere else around the temple, but it doesn't really matter. They'll eventually get back inside, but we'll be long gone by then; they'll suspect something went wrong...but they also might think it was a mistake on our part." He explained slowly to everyone as much as to Elyxya. **

**Most everyone nodded their approval and soon all were on their feet and ready to begin putting the plan into action. Everyone tried to be as quiet as possible and it almost worked except for two giggles a loud bang; Izzy had tried to get up Nightshade and Pryzma had pushed her back down as soon as she had gotten to her feet. Simple Izzy smiled and got up gingerly once the two bullies had moved ahead.**

**The group of eight stood in the center of the lobby and stared outside the open door where the two temple clerics' robes were the only thing visible. All of them waited...and waited...**

**"Well someone has to go shut the door." Masoj whispered and held back a chuckle. There was a stirr in the assembly and then Meeks stepped into the open, "I'll do it." She declared and walked off, slowly towards the exit. She smiled as the thought crossed her mind that this might just be the hardest thing she was going to have to do in her whole life; it was hell to be quiet! She reached her destination and felt her friends' eyes on her back, she swallowed and looked about the doorway for a handle or switch that would close the heavy stone door.**

**She frowned; there was no such handle or switch. **

**Turning around slowly, Meeks shrugged and mouthed the words `no way to shut the door' and made the hand movements to go with it. Looks of desparation painted the expecting faces of her eight comrades; and then suddenly all of their eyes went round and Nightshade pointed at the door. Meeks spun around and the two clerics appeared in the doorway with confused expressions, "What-" they began and Meeks jumped from the shock and stress of the moment. She cried out and heard the sound of weapons being pulled from their sheaths behind her; she panicked and swung her polearm in a wide arc, slicing the female cleric's thick robes. The clerics seemed as panic-stricken as Meeks and they looked to be trying to do something that wasn't very evident.**

**There was a shout from behind Meeks and just as a lightning bolt thundered by her side, the great door before her slammed shut with amazing speed; she threw herself to the ground as the spell errupted on the stone door and felt the sting of its remnants on her bare shoulders.**

**Shadows gathered around her as she felt a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?" Elyxya'a voice asked brightly as Meeks was pulled to her feet. Meeks opened her eyes and brushed herself off, "Yeah, I'm okay. What the hell was that?" She asked and the party turned to look at Masoj who bared an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry Meeks, I wasn't aiming for you or anything...really." He stuttered and smiled weakly. Meeks shook her head and coughed, "Whatever, just not so close next time...you could have seared my side." She said and clutched herself simultaneously. The dark wizard nodded, blushed and slipped behind Pryzma who was holding back a fit of giggles.**

**"What of the door?!?" Sindel cried all of a sudden, turning everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. Elyxya strode past Meeks and patted the door, then pushed it with her shoulder, "It's lodged. I don't know how, but it's shut and it ain't coming open any time soon." She deduced and walked back to the rest of the group.**

**There was a short silence and Will said, "That was what those two clerics were looking all panicky about, they shut the door on us! From the outside!" His brow furrowed and he looked over at Izzy, Nightshade and Pryzma. Nightshade and Pryzma answered in unison, "So it was magic." They said. "And that means we can't open it up again." Izzy completed the telling of the predicament with a resigned shrug that won her an angry glare from everyone in the party.**

**"So we're stuck." Masoj repeated and the small group sighed as one. **

*******

**Beyond the closed door that bore the insignia of Temple Darkmoon was a set of two staircases; one going up to the right, and one going down to the left. There were no telltale sounds from either direction and the only hint of what might lie beyond each staircase was darkness to the left, and light to the right. **

**"I say left." Pryzma declared, staring down in that direction. Masoj came up beside her and nodded, "Me too." He said and turned back to hear everyone else's decisions. Izzy closed the door that led to the lobby out of precaution and looked about quickly. Will and Sindel were already atop the first stair that lead up to the right, "Sindel and I say we go up here first, it looks more inviting." Will opted, and watched Sindel look around paranoidly.**

**Nightshade wasn't listening and was busy touching the walls with her fingers; she could feel tiny disturbances in the finely-shaped stone that could lead to secret passageways or hideaways. Izzy had joined her and now both were busy in their work. "I think I've found something people." Nightshade said in a quiet voice; everyone gathered around her and she stood up straight.**

**She caressed a certain portion of the wall with her fingers and licked her lips nervously, "The wall is offset -as odd as that may seem- and it feels rougher; it's been touched alot...and I'm pretty sure there's a doorway here." She said and pressed on the wall with her fingers to try to find a pressure point that might trigger a change in the wall. "Elyxya, Meeks, try shoving this part of the wall for me." Nightshade asked and the two warriors eagerly threw themselves against the wall. It didn't budge. **

**"Is it magical in any way, Nightshade?" Pryzma inquired, coming up beside her friend and touching the wall as well; she felt nothing of what Nighshade did and stepped away confusedly. **

**Nightshade threw back her long black hair and pressed her entire palm to the wall, "I don't know but maybe..." She closed her eyes and then shifted, "...maybe...wait a minute...wait a minute..." She brought her palm to the exact center of the area and pressed sharply. The wall before her disappeared and was replaced by a teleportation gate. She looked back at the team and then stepped away from the twinkling, floating crystals; she could find the secret passageways but wasn't the first to try them out.**

**Masoj clapped slowly and walked up to Nightshade to pat her on the shoulder, "Good job...now can you tell us where it goes?" He asked tentatively. Nightshade shook her head and backed away further more. "We need someone to go in there." Masoj said and pushed a strand of his stark white hair from his face and tucked it behind his sharply pointed ear.**

**"Izzy'll do it." Pryzma said and shoved the girl forward, "Isn't that right?" She taunted and Izzy frowned. "I don't know, what if it's dangerous?" Izzy whined and Pryzma leaned forward to put her dark hands on Izzy's creamy shoulders, "Then we'll know not to go in, now won't we?" She answered pointedly; Nightshade chuckled and immediately ceased when she caught Will and Sindel's disapproving glare.**

** "Just go, for god's sake." Elyxya rushed and Meeks shoved Izzy inside the teleporter's shimmering light fragments. There was silence in the air and nothing could be heard from beyond the portal; not a soul knew what to think or how to feel. **

**Pryzma exhaled impatiently, "What if she's dead?" She asked, for the sake of conversation. Nightshade burst out laughing and then stopped in fear of being heard by temple clerics, "Good. She's a ditz." She commented but no one wanted to trash talk Izzy at the moment; first of all, she had been brave enough to go into the portal (even though she was shoved), and second of all, no one had really had the chance to talk to her except maybe Masoj who didn't really enjoy her company either.**

**There was a hollow sound and then Izzy emerged from the teleporter sporting a dizzy expression, "It's safe. It's a clerical utility room of some sort. There's another teleporter in there that leads to another room that looks exactly like the one you first go into when you step inside." She pointed to the portal and everyone hung on her every word; especially the clerics who had heard the words `utility room'.**

**"So let's go." Sindel said and shoved past the unstable Izzy, and disappeared into the crystals. Will was next, mumbling "Wait, Sindel, settle down", and then Pryzma and Nightshade went in next, dragging Izzy in with them; and finally Elyxya, Meeks and Masoj. **

**The room was as large as the lobby and the teleporter brought you to the left side of the room; ahead was a large golden cross centered on the far wall. Sindel and Will were both huddling about the large holy symbol when the rest of the group entered.**

**"So what does it do?" Asked Masoj in his calm voice, he swept past Meeks and Elyxya and joined the two clerics. Nightshade and Pryzma had wandered to the right side of the room and were examining the second portal that Izzy had said led to another chamber of the same style.**

**Sindel couldn't keep her hands off the sleek, shiny surface of the golden cross, "I'm not sure, I think it might be an idol...or something." She said and pushed Masoj away when he attempted to lean closer to take a look for himself. Izzy sat in the center of the room and clutched her head, "I'm dizzy." She moaned and no one payed her heed.**

**"Maybe it would help if I casted a true seeing spell?" Masoj offered, leaning over a plaque on the side wall along with Elyxya and Meeks. Sindel's reply was a short and sweet, "No, your petty magic is of no use to me." She said simply and closed her eyes for concentration. Masoj grimaced and pretended to kick Sindel's behind; Meeks and Elyxya began to laugh and Sindel's eyes snapped open, "Shut up. I'm trying to read into this thing." She ordered and returned to her `reading'.**

**Meeks leaned against the wall and noticed that Masoj leaned against something shiny, "Move, Masoj. You're leaning on something." She said and the wizard did as she bid. On the wall was a plaque; Meeks frowned at herself for not having noticed it earlier. "It says `Death be undone by me, but I shall only grant three'. What's that mean?" She asked whoever wanted to answer.**

**Both Will and Sindel's heads turned and they jumped up, shoved past Elyxya, Meeks and Masoj and read the plaque for themselves, "Oh! It's a resurrection tool! But we only get to resurrect three people." Will exclaimed and everyone smiled. "Izzy said that there was another room like this," Elyxya commented and turned towards the little thief who still remained sitting down and clutching her head in the middle of the room, "Isn't that right Izzy?" She asked her. Izzy closed her eyes and opened them up again, "Yes it is. It's right over there." She said, pointing to the teleporter on the right side of the room. **

**All at once, the small group charged foreward into the designed teleporter; Izzy groaned, got up and lumbered in after them. As Izzy had said, the second room looked exactly like the first; wall arrangements, plaque, cross and all. Nightshade and Pryzma were both in the room already, sitting on the floor and talking; they had went in during the other group's little debate.**

**"Hello people." Nightshade said, got up and helped Pryzma to her feet. The party split up and Will and Sindel both lunged for the gleaming cross; they were saying things to each other but no one could make out the words. Elyxya and Meeks hung back and left the two clerics do their thing; Izzy entered and immeadiately crumbled to the ground, teleporters were not her favorite mode of transportation.**

**"This one's powers are expired," Sindel exclaimed after a short while, "it's useless to us." She turned and walked over to the rest of her group along with Will.**

**Soon after, the gang was outside of the resurrection chambers and back into the halls of Darkmoon. The clerics took note to remember the little room and the others began to be anxious to get on with their quest; particularly Meeks and Elyxya. Izzy was naucious and puked before leaving the second chamber; Nightshade and Pryzma did a good job in bringing up her courage to cross the two teleporters again, nothing like a little excessive force to get one back on his or her feet... **


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER III**

**San-Raal**

**"So, who's idea was it to come down here again?" Will asked, more than a little discouraged by the dampness and darkness of Temple Darkmoon's catacombs. After much debate on the part of Sindel and Masoj about wether to go up the stairs or down the stairs, the final decision had been to go down; the new bruise on Sindel's arm said so.**

**Arms crossed over her chest, Sindel sneered, "His." She spat, pointing at Masoj. Will reached out and patted the slender wizard's shoulder, "Well at least I'll know who to blame if something goes wrong." He said and Masoj frowned, steepled his long fingers and gave Will an insolent smile.**

**Where they were, the walls had gone from polished granite to rough and dirty building stone. The lighting was bad, the few torches that were lit only gave the area a worse look. The floor was dirty and littered with stray rocks, there was no sound except for the occasional drip of water and scuttle of a mouse across the floor. It was cooler, and everything the party did seemed to make a terrible amount of noise.**

**"We can go to the left or to the right; there doesn't seem to be much difference." Elyxya commented, looking about and straining her ears to hear the slightest hint of life. Indeed, there was a door to the left as well as to the right and both were metal; not the lovely stone that composed the doors upstairs. "Well, we would need a key to get to the one on the left so let's go to the right." Meeks analysed the situation simplemindedly but no one cared to go aginst her petty logic. The group walked over to the door and released a latch to open it; there was a hallway ahead.**

**As the gang walked the path ahead, Pryzma and Nightshade examined everything they walked by, "These catacombs were built by Drow." Pryzma remarked, recognizing her own people's structural mannerisms. Ahead of her, Masoj nodded, "Yes, they were. That means lots and lots of secret passageways. So it's best we don't get discouraged if it seems that we've done all we can and there's a missing link." He said softly and Nightshade listened carefully; if there were secret passageways, she would be the one to find them seeing as Izzy was more or less apt at that particular task.**

**At the head of the eight people, Meeks and Elyxya smiled, "At last, we get to have an adventure!" Meeks cheered, there was a door ahead and she got the feeling that the door would be guarded. Elyxya spun her sword and nudged her friend, "I know, this is going to be the most fun I'll have in long...I'm sure of it! The excitement's already building up, I don't know how much longer I can hold it back." She piped and stopped at the closed door before her. Meeks raised her polearm and whirled to see if the group was following. **

**"Go ahead and open the door, guys." Izzy called from the back of the line, her following words were choked out by the hushings of Nightshade and Pryzma. Will and Sindel looked to be getting ready for combat and Masoj flipped through his spellbook. Will smirked, "One of you put your ear to the door and tell us-" He began to Meeks and Elyxya but the two had already opened the door and had run inside screaming.**

**Meeks' intuition had been correct; the door was guarded by two men in armour and wielding longswords. The two guards had heard the group from outside and when the door had opened, they had tried to warn the new intruders not to enter but it was already too late. Elyxya and Meeks charged the two guards and when the rest of the party stormed in, the high-pitched sound of steel on steel was already ringing in the air. **

**Sindel and Pryzma stole forward and casted spells simultaneously while Will joined in with Meeks and Elyxya; Nightshade stood back and so did Izzy, Masoj had dropped his spellbook and was too late to help. Sindel's hold spell had had effect on the guard Elyxya was fighting and Elyxya finished him off quickly. Meeks yelled as Pryzma's volley of magical missiles shot by her and scared her half to death; luckily Will was there to help and the guard was defeated without futher adue. **

**With the carnage already started, Meeks and Elyxya gave each other high fives and chattered excitedly. Will went around checking if anyone was hurt, Nightshade congradulated Pryzma and Izzy watched on all bright-eyed and pepped-up. Unfortunately for Masoj and Sindel...**

**"You are the most pathetic mage I have ever met!" Sindel yelled, facing off with a very angry Masoj. "Get off my case wench! I dropped my spellbook...what did you expect me to do, pick it up and throw it???" The dark elf yelled back, clenching his teeth and holding back a growl. Sindel's eyes blazed, "It would have been better than nothing!" She shoved Masoj sharply. "Shut up!" Masoj hollered and shoved Sindel back; the priestess shoved him again and he shoved her again. Soon enough, both were swinging punches at each other and growling.**

**The little battle attracted the attention of the whole crew and everyone huddled around; Will angered quickly, "Hey!!! Stop it, both of you!" He scolded and tore Sindel away, holding her hands behind her back. Elyxya and Meeks laughed hysterically and Nightshade and Pryzma looked on concernedly; Izzy trotted up to Masoj and attempted to pull him as Will had pulled Sindel. The angry wizard gave Izzy a stare so cold that she backed away before even coming within five feet of him.**

**"Just give it up you two." Pryzma said lightly, "Stop picking on him, Sindel. It's not his fault, quit thinking you're so superior." She said sharply and a few members of the team squirmed, knowing Pryzma was right but hoping Sindel wouldn't go nuts on them all. **

**Will shoved Sindel ahead into the large empty room, "Let's go, we don't have time for this type of thing." He said and most of the team followed. "Come on." Meeks said softly and pushed Masoj foreward; the wizard raised an eyebrow defying Meeks to move him and Meeks smiled and shoved him anyway. Elyxya stalked past them and winked at Meeks; if Elyxya didn't stop bothering her about Masoj, then it would be she and Elyxya swinging punches at each other in the near future.**

**The room went into a long corridor to the right and a closed door to the left. Will and Elyxya, leading now because Meeks was busy soothing Masoj and Izzy was busy annoying Sindel, decided to go with the closed door. It was better to clean out all the areas they passed instead of skipping some and having to come back later; they would never know what they could have forgotten.**

**The door was guarded as well but the poor man was dispatched with a sweep of Elyxya's blade. "It's a food storage chamber." Elyxya discerned, pushing back a lock of blood-red hair to get a better look at the room before her. It was tiny and had barrels in it; food packages were carelessly scattered about the floor. "Food..." Meeks said dreamily, coming up behind her friend and bending over to pick up one of the rations. **

**"We don't have time to eat right now, babe. Just keep it for later." Nightshade called from behind Pryzma. Meeks grimaced and put the food in her backpack; she turned to the rest of the crew and said, "Now let's get out of here before I go crazy." And everyone did as she said. They went towards the corridor at the opposite end of the room and walked it without much conversation. At the end of the hallway was a door and before the door was a pressure plate; Elyxya walked ahead and when she stood atop the plate, the door before her opened but when she went to walk past the door it would close.**

**"I understand." Nighsthade said brightly, coming up in front of the party, "It's a pressure plate, it needs weight to activate the door. Put something on it." She said. Elyxya looked around and then picked up a large enough stone off the floor, she placed it on the plate and as Nightshade had predicted, the door opened. "Now go. It won't close up again, trust me." Nightshade assured Elyxya and the leader strode through the door effortlessly.**

**A large room spread before them and Izzy frowned at the darkness; she picked a torch from its holder and held it out to her left for a better view of her surroundings, "This is creepy." She squeaked. Pryzma elbowed her in response.**

**"I see a key hole over there." Masoj said and pointed straight ahead. Meeks strode over to where Masoj pointed and Izzy's torchlight confirmed Masoj's words; beside the key hole was obviously a door and in plain sight, in an alcove in the wall, was the key. "I don't know," Izzy warned, "maybe it's a trap." She sounded frightened but it was useless to attempt to reassure her. "You hear too many stories." Meeks said in a husky voice and picked the key from the alcove. She inserted the key into the lock and the door creaked open.**

**It was a jail cell and there was someone in it. Meeks and Elyxya raised their weapons out of instinct but in vain, "Hullo." A small voice said timidly. The whole party gathered inside the cell to look at who they had found; it was a halfling, chained, and looking in bad shape. Elyxya bent down and opened her mouth to say something when Meeks' rude words cut her off, "What do you want? Who are you?" Meeks demanded. Elyxya hit her friend and smiled at the halfling, "What are you doing here?" She asked sweetly, hoping he wouldn't be frightened by the rest of the party; she just knew in her heart that Sindel was giving him the nastiest look...**

**The halfling drew himself up and smiled, "I am Insal the thief. The clerics of this dump captured me and locked me up." He explained and shoved his shacles into Elyxya's face. Elyxya frowned and looked the tiny man up and down, "Oh. We're not from Darkmoon, we're here to rid the Waterdeep of this place." She said and touched the man's chains. "Would you be so kind as to remove these bondages?" Insal asked nicely; Elyxya saw no point in refusing and beckoned for Meeks to do the job. Insal cringed as Meeks raised her polearm and choped the chains in half, "Th-thank you. May I join your team? I can prove myself useful in your quest." He asked. **

**Sindel spoke this time, "No. We already have two thieves and that's all we need. Thanks anyway goodbye." She urged and although it was immoral to be that rude to a stranger, Sindel was right for refusing the halfling's aid; no one bothered to speak against her. Insal nodded and waved goodbye to the team hesitantly and then disappeared into the darkened halls of the catacombs. **

**On leaving the prison cell, Pryzma held up the party, "Wait, I hear something." She said in a hushed whisper, "From over there." She said and pointed to the opposite end of the room; it was dark and impossible to see what was lurking there. Elyxya and Meeks stepped foreward and a guard appeared from the gloom. **

**The two fighters ran towards the man but they were beaten by a blue-white streak of lightning. The guard was hit and fell dead to the ground immediately. Elyxya and Meeks turned to see Masoj, his book open in one hand and the lightning bolt's remnants writhing about his fingers in the other. "Who was the quickest to react now Sindel?" Masoj purred, not even looking at the priestess behind him. Sindel laughed dryly, "Don't play me, boy." She hissed.**

**"Holy crap..." Meeks blurted, looking at the dead guard and then at Masoj and back again, "...nice shot." She said and the Drow grinned; she felt her face go red and she wasn't sure if it was out of jealousy or something else. Elyxya tapped Meeks on the shoulder with her blade, "Alright now that's enough. There are some barrels over here I want you to hack." She said and pulled Meeks past the guard's lifeless body.**

**"Hmm..." Nightshade mumbled and darted towards the side wall; she began inspecting it and touching it the way she had with the wall upstairs. Pryzma followed Elyxya and Meeks over by the five barrels and watched as both women hacked viciously at the containers, "What are those?" She asked as the contents of one of the barrels tumbled to the ground at her feet. Pryzma bent and picked up one of the small green bags, inside was a type of golden dust. **

**"So, what are they?" Elyxya asked, she came up beside the little Drow lady and curiously peered over her shoulder. Pryzma twitched her nose and furrowed her brow in thought, "They might be nothing at all, but something tells me they're little bags of magic dust." She said and stuck her finger into the fine dust, then brought it up to her nose. Meeks leaned on Elyxya's shoulder and watched Pryzma's every move, "I could have told you that. The real question is what does it do?" She demanded impatiently. Pryzma exhaled loudly in response and looked further into the room, trying to find some help on the subject.**

**"Nightshade! Masoj! Come here, I've found something." She called into the darkness when the light of Izzy's torch revealed the whearabouts of her friends. Nightshade pulled herself reluctantly from the wall she was studying and followed Masoj as he walked by. Pryzma held out the small pouch in her hand as her teammates came close, "Look. I want to know what it does." She said shortly and handed the dust to Nightshade. "To tell you the truth Pryz', I don't have a clue what it does. It doesn't look like any magic dust I've come across before." Nightshade uttered as Izzy and her torch approached the small group. The conversation cut short and everyone watched Izzy join the crew; her tight blue shirt looked even tighter in the torchlight.**

**"Hi, what's going on here?" Izzy piped and tried to look over Masoj's shoulder to catch a glimpse of what everyone was staring at. Masoj pushed the little thief back,**

**fearing her torch would burn his robes, "I know what it does." He spoke, accepting the dust as Nightshade handed it over to him. The group lightened as Masoj touched the golden substance with his ebony fingers and then pulled the pouch's drawstring, "It's stone to flesh dust; if for some reason one of us gets turned into stone, this dust will reverse the spell." He explained matter-of-factly. Meeks smiled at Masoj's intelligence and Masoj averted his gaze.**

**Nightshade slipped her backpack off of her shoulders and pulled it open, "Right on, I wonder if the whole temple is as useful as this." She commented, taking the three bags of dust on the floor and the one from Masoj's hand and placing them all in her pack. "I'm not sure if we're supposed to be taking anything...aren't we here to tear this place apart?" Elyxya spoke from beside Meeks; it really didn't make sense to her to pillage Darkmoon when they were supposed to be destroying its inhabitants instead. Izzy was the one to respond, "If we're to take this place down, why not take the things we want first?" She opted deviously, her rogue thief side finally breaking past her innocent exterior.**

**The comment was acknowledged and the group turned to leave the far end of the room when Nightshade suddenly turned to the wall on the left and began feeling it. Everyone watched her and she didn't even seem to notice their presence, she took a while and Pryzma abruptly took notice of Will and Sindel's absense, "Guys, where are Will and Sindel?" She asked and everyone turned to look around except Nightshade who continued to fondle the wall. The two clerics were at the entrance of the room and were talking, quietly, for once. **

**"Ah!" Nightshade's triumphant gasp brought her friends back to the matter at hand, "I found a passageway!" She declared and pressed a small stone at the bottom left corner of the wall that triggered the entrance mechanism. "If it's a teleporter, find another guiney pig alright?" Izzy whined and Pryzma took hold of the girl's shoulders. As one, Meeks and Elyxya turned and shouted, "Will, Sindel, get your buts over here! Nightshade's found another passaeway!" The two clerics quit talking immediately and hurried over to the rest of the team. **

**Masoj peered into the darkness below and clutched his spellbook instinctively. Meeks and Elyxya readied their weapons and grinned. Sindel crossed her arms and Will frowned. Pryzma beckoned Nightshade near, "Izzy's got a torch, and Izzy'a pretty brave. I say we let her lead the way." Pryzma said devilishly and then turned to Nightshade, "What do you think bud?" She asked her friend. Nightshade clasped her hands together and nodded slowly, "I think that's a pretty smart move babe, good thinking." She said and just as soon Izzy was launched into the darkness without much retort.**

**When the familiar `thump' of Izzy hitting the bottom of the staircase sounded, accompanied by her usual whine of complaint, Meeks and Elyxya charged down at full speed, tripping over one-another in their excitement. "Are you alright?" Will asked as he and Sindel descended the stairs quickly, both drew their longswords in caution. Masoj was next, and then Pryzma and Nightshade, grinning.**

**At the bottom of the stairs, the only light present was that of the torch that Izzy miraculously (even after being chucked down a staircase) still held. The area was not very wide and turned off at the left, as well as straight ahead. Sindel and Will alredy went ahead and Meeks and Elyxya stared in awe at the gargantuan spider web blocking the entrance to the left-side turn-off. "That's a big web." Meeks stuttered, knowing very well what made the large thing. Elyxya brushed some hair from her face and sneezed, "Yeah. I don't know about you, but I don't care to go in there. You know how I am about spiders..." She murmured and retreated behind Meeks. **

**Meeks smiled proudly and raised her polearm to cut down the sticky web, "Aw, don't worry Elyxya, I'll go in there fir-" She began but was cut off by another voice. "No. It's best you don't. Those giant spiders are really tricky and there's never only one around, I wouldn't want you getting jammed in there." Masoj said from behind, placing a hand on Meeks' shoulder. Meeks frowned and turned to face the wizard, "What do you mean `no'? I'll go if I want to. I've fought worse than spiders and so has Elyxya." She said sharply, not understanding her friend's concern. Masoj removed his hand from the warrior's shoulder and stared at her for a moment; what on god's green earth will make this woman understand that she would be sico to charge in there like she had charged into the lobby earlier this morning? He thought to himself. "It's true you know, we have fought much worse." Elyxya said from the side, knowing that convincing Meeks was mission impossible. **

**"There were two scrolls and a key in there." Sindel's voice said as she exited the room ahead and headed towards the group. The warrior V.S wizard staring contest ceased and Elyxya bolted between the two to retrieve the objects the clerics had found. "A key? Gimme it." Elyxya said and snatched the copper thing from Sindel's hands, she completely ignored the scrolls seeing as she would not know how to use them anyway. Will came up beside her and motioned for Pryzma and Nightshade to come closer. Nightshade and Pryzma were sitting on the staircase and got up to join the gang. Izzy had followed Will and Sindel into the room where they had found the items and she came closer also.**

**"One of these is a mage's spell." Sindel said and threw the designed scroll at Pryzma and Masoj. Nightshade and Izzy gathered around as Pryzma unrolled the cracked parchment and read it contents, "Innuend, glebrazu, phias...fireball spell." She declared pointedly and handed it to Nightshade so she could place it in her backpack along with the dust bags. "The other one is a map." Sindel said, the paper already open in her hands, "I don't know for what though, parts of the edges have been burnt," She mumbled and shook her head. Will shrugged, "Dah well. Just keep it anyway, it's bound to come in handy." He said and snatched it from Sindel's hands and tucked it beneath his heavy shirt. Sindel glowered at him and he mearly stepped away and headed for the staircase.**

**Will stopped before the large spider wed and pointed in its general direction, "What's in there?" He asked curiously and leaned closer to attempt to have a peek through. Meeks came foreward and went to say something, but then she drew back and pursed her lips, "Never mind." She said and looked up at Masoj who smiled warmly at her side, "It's best we don't go in there." She finished and the group went back up the stairs and out of the passageweay.**

**On their way back to the very first room they had went into once coming down from the lobby, Elyxya (after stopping to laugh hysterically at one of the guards she had killed) found a key on one of the corpses' belts. The key, Izzy noticed, matched the lock on the locked door in the very first room they had been in. Now the group stood before that door.**

**Nighsthade held the key to the lock and slipped it inside, "I wanna go back upstairs, it's not so gross up there." She whined suddenly, breaking her friends' concentration on what lied beyond the door. Sindel urged Nightshade impatiently, "I told you we shouldn't have listened to the wizard." She grumbled. Nighsthade opened the lock and the door creaked open; two armed guards came rushing out in a split-second. **

**"Bitchin'!!!" Meeks and Elyxya cheered and the guards fell to their deaths moments later. The team followed a short corridor that led them to a intersection with a large opening in the floor and a lever to the side. Nighsthade and Izzy cried simultaneously, "It's a pit trap!" And darted foreward to pull the lever. Nightshade punched Izzy in the arm and got to the lever first; it closed the gap in the floor. Sindel went to walk on it and Nightshade held her back, "No, wait. Once we step on there, something'll happen from around that corner and if we step back, that gap'll open up again. So no chickening out once that `something' happens. Deal?" She said in one breath. There was a mutual agreement and the team moved up.**

**A door directly in front of them opened and four guards came rushing at the team; it was crucial to keep from being over powered, and Nightshade's warning rung in everyone's head. Hold spells on the part of Sindel and Will shot foreward and targetted the four men; the spells held two men deep and all the guards were affected. Because of the greater number of people affected, the spell would dissipate soon; the guards had to be dealt with quickly! Pryzma and Masoj knew this and a lightning bolt zapped foreward followed by a fireball in just seconds. Meeks and Elyxya ran full speed and knocked the four guards from their motionless feet. The dark elves' spells finished off three soldiers and Meeks and Elyxya shared the last.**

**"Now you can go." Nightshade breathed and the party stalked forwards. Izzy looked back and blinked, "The gap's opened up again." She noticed and was answered by Will's call, "This lever probably shuts it up again." He said and pulled the metal lever; as he thought, the pit closed. **

**The winding corridor beyond led the crew to four separate chambers that composed the guards' barracks. In each barrack was a set of four to six guards and all were dispatched; Meeks and Elyxya had minor wounds but hadn't noticed them until Will had pointed them out. A key was found, as well a silver horn. "What does this do? Why the hell do they need a horn?" Pryzma asked, holding the objet in her hands but refraining from blowing into it. Masoj shook his head, "I don't know, maybe it's to summon the other-" He stopped short when Pryzma held up her finger, "No, it's magic." She said and handed it to Masoj off-handedly. The slender wizard looked at it and nodded then, after concluding that time would answer his questions, gave it over to Meeks who dropped it into her backpack.**

**The team descended a short staircase and then another and found themselves before a large, dark, open room. "Izzy, torch light. Now." Sindel ordered the thief who happily lit the area ahead. "Well, we can go left of right." Izzy said. Directly ahead was a wall, so left or right would have to do. "I say we stick to the walls, so right." Elyxya said, pointing her sword in that direction; there was a closed door blocking the way once the party crossed the room.**

**"Damn." Meeks uttered and then said, "Wait no! I have..." She reached into her backpack and pulled out the key she'd gotten from the guards' barracks, "...a key!" She unlocked the door and was about to charge inside when Will pulled her back and pointed to Nightshade who was standing beside the wall to the left and grinning proudly.**

**"I found another passageway." She said shortly. The team checked the door newly unlocked and then dismissed it for later. They entered the circular room and Izzy darted to one side and emerged with two potions in her hands, "Look, a poison curing potion and a healing potion!" She said cheerily. Pryzma's hand shot out and snatched the precious salves from the red-head, "Give me those. You'll probably break em." She said and gave them to Nightshade so she could put them away.**

**Elyxya and Meeks had followed Masoj to another wall and were mystified when he said, "The wall before us is a second-rate illusion.". The two women didn't quite know what to do and then followed Masoj's example and stepped right through the wall. The rest of the team followed curiously and Masoj lead them into what seemed like a dungeon.**

**"This looks and smells of prison block." Sindel said and her words were muffled by her robe (she held it up to her nose so she wouldn't have to smell the air). They walked forward and on each side were jail cells; Will opened a few of them out of curiosity and found nothing but bones. "Shhh." Masoj whispered and held out his arm to hold the rest of the team back, "There are clerics around that corner." He said. **

**At that moment, a loud voice said, "Halt! Who goes there?" And two male clerics tore around the corner that Masoj had pointed out. Squeezed in a hallway, the group of eight didn't know wether to charge or back up or do something else. Both temple clerics cast hold spells at the party but Will and Sindel countered them with dispell spells. Meeks and Elyxya went in blades leading the way and the clerics fought back with maces. The heavy weapons the temple clerics used were cumbersome and difficult to hold off because of their momentum, but Elyxya and Meeks had a momentum of their own...**

**They suddenly ducked, to the surprise of the clerics, and swooped low with their blades. When the clerics raised their maces to downstrike, the two women jumped to the side and yelled, "Spells!". At that moment (even though the move had not been rehearsed) an icestorm and a fireball ,coming from Masoj and Pryzma, flew by and caught the two temple clerics by surprise and sent them sprawling to the back wall. **

**"Thank you!" Meeks and Elyxya cried simultaneously and giggled childishly, finishing off the two clerics and stepping back. The team quickly joined them and for the very first time, everyone was smiling (even Sindel). "That was so amazing!" Pryzma exclaimed, grasping Nightshade and hugging her excitedly. "Who knew we could work as a team?" Masoj added, his crimson eyes shimmering as they fell upon Meeks. "Woohoo!" Elyxya shouted, not caring if anyone heard, "This is only the beginning!" She said and danced about with Meeks. "Oh that was bliss." Sindel commented, patting Will's arm and watching the rest of the team chatter excitedly. Although it was only two dead temple clerics, everyone was high on excitement. They had gotten their very first taste of teamwork, of how powerful they all could be together; and everyone was nuts about it! The group's bond finally began to take hold...**

**When everyone had settled enough to stop shouting and jumping about, they went around the corner where the temple clerics had been waiting and to their right was a closed door. Everyone got ready for another enthralling encounter but got no such thing; the door wasn't guarded, there was an empty chambr to the left and a darkened chamber to the right.**

**"There's someone in here." Pryzma said, she was the first to step into the room. Izzy soon followed with her torch in her hand and expelled the darkness. "Oh!" Pryzma and Izzy both gasped; standing against the wall at the far end of the little cubicle was a Drow elf. He was as dark as Pryzma and Masoj and looked frightened; he clutched a book to his chest and stared at the party. Masoj strode into the room and up to his fellow dark elf; Masoj smiled and the other man seemed to soothe a little.**

**"My name is Masoj Hun'ett. I'm from Menzoberranzan." Masoj said, his voice sounding dark in the echoing room. The other elf drew himself up but came a few inches short of Masoj's height, "I am San-Raal Dragonsphere. I am from Ched-Nasad." He said reluctantly, examining Masoj and then the rest of the party. Pryzma bounded foreward and stood beside Masoj, "I'm from Ched-Nasad also, my name is Pryzma Baenre." She said lightly and smiled wide. The rest of the party stood back and watched in silence.**

**San-Raal smiled and straightened his robes, "Baenre? What are you doing up here?" He asked quickly. Pryzma felt good about having found someone else from her homeland, "Everyone in this room has been chosen by the city of WaterDeep to take down this temple. Each of us were summoned from our own homes; we just got here today." She explained. San-Raal nodded, "I see. You might want to know what I'm doing here as well. As you might have noticed, this whole building is a work of the Drow. Once it was built, there was a cataclysm and some of us died; I was taken prisoner. I've been here for quite a few years, not in this cell...but about the temple; I've become a kind of slave." He said sadly and bowed his head in shame. **

**There was a momentary silence and then Masoj pointed to the book San-Raal clutched, "You are a mage?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. San-Raal smiled again, "Of course. I was just about to graduate when I was asked to assist in the building of this temple." He answered brightly and regained his composure, "And you are too I believe?". Masoj smirked, "Yes. I am a master of Sorcere, I've been teaching there for over a century." Masoj boasted; behind him and amongst the party, Sindel rolled her eyes and uttered a loud `hmph'. **

**Pryzma caught San-Raal's gaze and the newcomer turned from Masoj and faced her, "Pryzma, perhaps you would like to introduce me to the rest of the people staring at me?" He proposed sharply and looked over Pryzma's shoulders to the six group members. Pryzma spun around and San-Raal moved ahead to greet the strangers, "They can introduce themselves." Pryzma said.**

**Izzy was the first to go, "My name's Izzy." She giggled and waved the torch close to San-Raal, nearly blinding the poor fellow. "I am Sindel and this is Will." Sindel said next, making sure to put the newcomer in his place with one of her `yes, that's right, I am imposing so don't play me' looks; Will smiled and San-Raal nodded curtly. Nightshade stood beside the two clerics and didn't really speak until San-Raal stood directly before her, "Nightshade, my name is Nightshade." She uttered, fingering the true seeing amulet around her neck. Last but not least San-Raal came to the two leaders, "Hey, I'm Meeks." Meeks gushed and then paused for a second and said, "You didn't happen to see that cloud carving upstairs, did you? It really blo-" She began but stopped short when San-Raal's confused expression told her that he had no clue what she was talking about.**

**A blank stare sufficed for San-Raal's greeting of Meeks, and a reserved smile appeared on the dark elf's lips when his gaze fell upon Elyxya, "And who might you be?" He asked softly and pulled back the hood of his dark robes to reveal his long, stark white hair that much resembled Masoj's in lenght and texture. Elyxya felt herself blush and suddenly regretted teasing Meeks about Masoj, "H-hello. I'm Elyxya; M-Meeks and I lead this party." She stuttered, images of all the payback she was going to recieve from Meeks piling into her head.**

**San-Raal took Elyxya's hand and kissed it, "Pleased to make your aquaintance, my lady." He said grandly. Elyxya squealed and looked over at Meeks; her pal smiled and her eyes seemed to say `oh man, I am going to get you so bad...'. "Y-yes." Elyxya managed, not quite able to keep her eyes off the new dark elf; so maybe they're not all cold like Masoj, she thought to herself as she looked over at the wizard in question who was engaged in an evil stare contest with Sindel.**

** Pryzma came up behind San-Raal and he turned to her, "So, would you like to join the crew? We can always use more magic, and you seem to be accepted by our leaders." Pryzma asked, giving Elyxya the eye. There was a general uneasy shift on the part of a few party members (can you guess who?) and a slight hesitation from San-Raal, but then, "That would be great, maybe at last I will be able to exact some revenge on my captors." He declared with a smile. **

**Sindel smacked her hand on her forehead and fell back against Will, "Isn't Masoj enough?" She moaned so that only the people closest to her could hear, "Now I have two wizards to prove I'm better than!"**


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER IV**

**Doubts set in**

**After a quick survey of the area, the team figured that the only place left to go was the closed door they had passed before Nightshade had taken them into the secret passageway leading to the dungeons. Once inside a set of doors, the party had heard voices; many voices. So, not quite ready to run in and attack whomever the voices belonged to, the group decided to go back to the deserted dungeons and rest.**

**"At last!" Meeks said after a long sigh and pulled the food package she had found earlier and put away, "I'm sooo hungry." She began to eat greedily and the rest of the group tried not to stare. They were all gathered inside the large room opposite of where San-Raal had been found; everyone gathered around their backpacks which they had thrown in the middle.**

**Sindel brushed a piece of bread from her robes with her hand and frowned at Meeks, "Sensible bites, Meeks, sensible bites." She scolded but the famished warrior heard nothing. She turned to Will, Elyxya and San-Raal who sat beside her, "Anyway, I think this is all going rather well, don't you all think?" She commented, "The whole temple raiding thing, I mean." She added when she got a few confused glances. Will watched as Elyxya leaned over Sindel to tear a piece of food out of Meek's hand, "Yes, I think so too Sindel. I just hope things don't get much more complicated, but I know that's wishful thinking." He said wisely. Sindel nodded and rushed Elyxya off of her.**

**"I think Sindel and Will should steal the two dead clerics' robes and put them on." Nightshade said, sitting in front of Will, Sindel, Elyxya and San-Raal. Will cocked his head to the side, "Why do you say that?" He asked; beside him, Sindel summoned water and goblets from her god and set them down before her friends. Nightshade smiled as she took her cup and drank the cold liquid down quickly then offered some to Pryzma who sat beside her, "Well obviously Will, you two would look just a little less suspicious. You know; if temple clerics see us all run by quickly, maybe they'll think less of us if they catch a glimpse of their own clerical cloth." She explained and now she held almost everyone's attention.**

**Will nodded and Sindel sneered, "You want me to renounce Tymora?!!" Sindel roared and attempted to get up but Will roughly pulled her back down. Nightshade held up her hands defensively, "No! You're not renouncing your god, you're just puting on a different robe. Just think about it Sindel, what I propose makes sense." She said calmly. Sindel stared straight ahead and looked to be making sense of it in her mind. "I'll do it." Will opted suddenly and Nightshade smiled at him approvingly. Sindel glared at her partner, "Oh sure, go ahead and betray your christian god, you pansy." She hissed at Will.**

**Will turned to face her with a stern expression, "You listen here priestess; do you not know how to tell right from wrong? Or how to know what's wise and what's not? Does anything unselfish ever go through that thick skull of yours?" He shot back and looked her straight in the eye. Sindel was momentarily shocked and debated with herself if she should give in or show how headstrong she was and refuse. There was a long silence and then Sindel cleared her throat, "The robes are pretty...I suppose I could try them on." She admitted weakly and there was a general smile from the whole group as, for once, Sindel had backed down. They all got up and headed out of the room and over to where the dead clerics lay.**

** A little further to the side, Meeks finished her lunch and looked up to see some of her friends leave the room, "Hunh? Dah well." She shrugged and rummaged through her backpack for more food. "Water?" Came a smooth voice from the side. Meeks looked over to see Masoj sit down by her side with two goblets of Sindel's (or should I say Tymora's) water.**

**"Yeah sure, thanks." She said and took a cup from Masoj and chugged it down. The wizard chuckled, "You gonna eat the cup too?" He asked, not quite sure if he meant it as a joke or not. Meeks put the goblet down and scowled at Masoj, "Did you just insult me?" She said huskily; she might not be the quickest but she could understand when she was being insulted, no matter how subtle the hint was. For a moment, Masoj didn't know what to respond then he simply smiled, "Well you see the thing is, I don't know myself." He said matter-of-factly and drank from his own cup, "You just ate so much...I figured the goblet would be like some sort of dessert..." He said it nonchalantly but watched Meeks' reaction with the corner of his eye.**

**Meeks' jaw dropped and she cried out and got to her feet in a rush, "You are so mean." She said and watched as Masoj got up to face her. The dark-elven wizard smiled maliciously, "I can't lie to you...I am mean. But not to everyone." He said. Fearing a fight with this particular mage, Meeks looked about the room for assistance and found no one but Izzy sleeping in a corner, "Thanks Izzy, I'll remember that when you're in need of help." Meeks mumbled unhappily to the sleeping thief.**

**"Help? Now why on earth would you be in need of help?" Masoj purred, crossing his arms over his chest. Meeks looked at him then and readied herself to say something offending...but she couldn't get herself to say it. Sure he was mean, and cold, and a bit arrogant...but still, there was something about him that Meeks couldn't help but like...**

**"Well, aren't you going to come up with a snappy comeback?" Masoj asked again, raising an eyebrow. Meeks looked him up and down; he was taller than she and less built, and he was obviously slender beneath his purple velvet robe. His facial features were lean and sharp, and his thick, white shoulder-length hair was an amazing contrast to his ebony skin. Meeks opened her mouth to speak her retort but failed when an unreadable glint in Masoj's eyes caused both of them to smile.**

**"Are you guys fighting?" Came Izzy's sleepy voice from behind the wizard and the warrior. Meeks and Masoj turned to face the one who interrupted their silence, "No, Izzy. We're not fighting, go back to sleep and don't worry about it." Meeks said sharply, realizing she was angry about the interruption but not figuring why. Izzy blinked a few times and cast skeptical glances at her teammates, Well I can't now, you guys woke me up." She said and pulled herself to her feet heavily, "So, what were you two talking about?" She asked, walking across the room to join the two others.**

**Masoj exhaled loudly and blew a strand of hair that had fallen in his face, "Quite frankly Izzy, none of your business." He snapped, drawing a frown from the gentle thief and a smile from Meeks. Izzy shrugged and then nodded her understanding, "Alright...anyone got any food?" She asked, drastically changing the subject. She made a move for the team's gathered backpacks in the center of the room and rummaged through one of them carelessly.**

**"Hey! Get out of my stuff you little spore!" Nightshade yelped, striding into the room followed by Pryzma, Will, Sindel, Elyxya and San-Raal. Izzy jumped nervously away from Nightshade's pack as the older thief came at her in a rush. Sindel and Will were both adorned with, not their usual clerical robes, but the thick and flowing robes of the clergy of temple Darkmoon. **

**Masoj and Meeks joined their team, "Wow, those look really nice on you two." Meeks complimented the two clerics and reached out to feel the soft cloth of Sindel's royal blue robe; both Will and Sindel had also taken the dead clerics' plate mail and wore them over the robes, the whole outfit looking rather fitting on the two godlings. "It's comfortable too." Will commented thoughtfully, making final adjustments to the sleeves. Meeks was confused, "So...why exactly are you guys wearing those?" She asked; when Nightshade had hatched the plan, Meeks had been eating and hadn't heard a thing. Neither had Izzy, but she chose not to speak up on the count of she wasn't in the mood to accept the verbal bashing she would definately be recieving from Pryzma and Nightshade.**

**Already, San-Raal began to show his involvement with the group, "They put them on to look less suspicious, Meeks." He explained simply. Meeks wasn't sure she understood, "Doesn't a group of nine people running around and killing everyone look suspicious? Even if two of those people are wearing Darkmoon's robes?" She asked. Masoj moved by her side and cleared his throat, "Meeks, the more help we can get, the better. If Will and Sindel wear Darkmoon's robes, they'll have an easier time getting around to certain places where it would be harder for the rest of us to go." He repeated calmly and it made sense in Meeks' mind.**

**Elyxya pushed past San-Raal and pulled her sword from its sheath, "So, let's get out of here and get on with it!" She said, her impatience growing visibly. Meeks strode up to her side and the two clerics joined, followed by Nightshade and Pryzma, Masoj and San-Raal, and finally Izzy. They quickly and quietly headed out of the dungeons and back to the room where they had heard the many voices. Gathered before the closed door, they all pulled themselves together for an attack that would be inevitable.**

**"I hear about four, maybe five voices." Elyxya declared, her ear up against the cold steel door. Behind her, the party was quiet. Meeks leaned on her polearm and then couldn't resist to join Elyxya, ear against the door, "Oh, there's more." She whispered. "Voices?" Elyxya asked, her eyes darting around the room. Meeks shook her head, "No. There's another sound besides voices. I think...I think...there's something else." She finished pointlessly, giving no help at all as to what might be beyond the door. **

**Elyxya sniffed and took a deep breath, "We'll never know until we see for ourselves," She concluded and took hold of the side lever that opened the door, "get ready guys." She said. Beside her, Meeks took on attack stance; behind her, Elyxya could hear spellbooks being leafed through, as well and weapons brushing leather and stone. She closed her clear blue eyes and and pulled the lever.**

**There were alarmed cries from within the room and the sound of running, Elyxya and Meeks meant to charge in but quickly saw what the `other sounds' were coming from; a group of about thirty undead warriors came at them from both sides and the leaders wisely stepped back. The skeletons came to the door but luckily, only two warriors fit to fight comfortably within the doorway so Meeks and Elyxya were able to hold them from coming forwards and out of the chamber they were in. Behind both skeletons were two more, and way back in the room, clerics could be seen pacing about.**

**Behind the two leaders, Will looked endlessly for a way to get in and fight, "What the hell is this temple doing? A normal temple does not need an undead army!" He yelled over the clang of weaponry ahead. Sindel bore a determined expression, "Perhaps Khelben was right, this place is hell." She summoned mystical powers and cast a hold spell, "Damnit! I hate this! Our spells do nothing!" She cried in fury as her spell dissipated into nothingness against the undead creatures.**

**"Can't we use magic?" Nighsthade asked, coming up behind Masoj, Pryzma, and San-Raal and tugging on the mages' sleeves like a child. Masoj nervously tightened his grip on his sword, "No Nightshade, it's completely useless. We just have to wait here and take turns up at the front." He said desolately. Nightshade's features darkened and she looked at San-Raal and Pryzma for a second opinion but both shook their heads at her. She took a deep breath and tried again...just in case, "Are you sure?" She asked her friends, her voice cracking; the noise up ahead was extreme and for all she could see, Meeks and Elyxya were still fighting. **

**San-Raal whirled and grabbed Nightshade's shoulders, "Just grab your sword and wait, Queen Mab." He said, hoping the thief would settle down so that he wouldn't lose his cool along with her. Nightshade swallowed thickly and drew up her shortsword before her and shifted her weight from one foot to the other anxiously. **

**In quick time, Meeks and Elyxya tore away from the doorway and ran to the back of the team; the were panting and they were wounded, not severly, but they were wounded. Sindel and Will jumped ahead, all too happy to get a piece of the fight for themselves, and were treated by the arrival of two clerics standing behind the undead warriors the fought in the doorway. **

**At the sight of flesh, the three mages reacted all at once; Pryzma let loose a lightning bolt, Masoj a volley of magical missiles and San-Raal a fireball. Ultimately, the clerics were defeated before they could get off one spell. Nightshade, who was also a mage, would have also cast a spell if she wasn't so preoccupied with the arrival of the two wounded leaders, "Are you alright? Oh my god, is there something I can do?" She gushed, shaking in anxiety; she dropped her sword and began to put her hands over the two warroirs' wounds to stop the bleeding. "Don't worry about it just wait until Will and Sindel come back here, they'll do the work." Elyxya said, picking up Nightshade's sword and handing it to her. Izzy, who had kept quiet until then, strode up and examined Meeks and Elyxya. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a healing salve.**

**"No Izzy, don't waste it." Meeks and Elyxya said as one. Izzy pulled back, "Why not? That's what it's for, isn't it?" She objected, opening the little glass bottle. Meeks roughly took it from the girl and put it back into her bag, "I said, don't waste it." She repeated seriously. Izzy bowed her head and put the bottle away after closing it up again.**

**San-Raal and Masoj had only the time to glimpse back at the leaders when Sindel and Will split and ran to the back of the team to heal the leaders; it was time for the wizards to fight. The members with the least martial inclination in the whole team felt as though they were going to die, "I was never very good with a sword!" San-Raal whined, holding the hilt of his longsword with both hands and swinging it as though it was a club. Beside him, Masoj arched his stomach to dodge a wide swing that would most likely have sliced him in half, "It looks so much easier when you watch other people do it, doesn't it?" He gasped, his sense of humour still present even though he was scared to death.**

**Pryzma and Nightshade frowned at the two wizards' progress; not one undead warrior had fallen to either of their blades since they began fighting. They waited a little longer and when San-Raal almost got his head chopped off, Pryzma decided to get the mages out of there, "Move! Let's get this over with!" She hollered and she and Nightshade pushed past Masoj and San-Raal. Happily, the two dark elves went behind the two women and waited for more clerics to annihalate.**

**At the back of the crew, Sindel and Will were busy healing Meeks and Elyxya. Izzy helped the two clerics by doing their bidding. "I wanna go back up there and fight, Elyxya." Meeks said in an impatient tone. Elyxya held herself up with her sword, "Me too, hurry up Will." She rushed as Will busied away at healing the slash on her side. Elyxya smiled and her eyes flared, "Did you see San-Raal and Masoj up there? They blew!" She chuckled, and then regretted the giggle as a pain in her healing side made her cringe. The sound of incantations entered the air and the leaders watched as three clerics arrived in the doorway to fight. "Clerics! I wanna go!" Meeks yelped but didn't attempt to take her wounded arm from Sindel's healing grip that felt more like death grip. **

**Pryzma's blade took the life from a female cleric that came up to fight; she smiled and prepared for a replacement skeleton warrior to take the girl's place. Nightshade raised her sword to parry a male clerics' mace downswing and then, for no apparent reason, the man crumbled to her feet along with the other cleric behind him. She whirled to see what had happened, "What -or sould I say- who was that?" She yelled, the shock of battle screwed tightly within her. Both Masoj and San-Raal grinned and Nightshade understood.**

**The army of undeads grew smaller, and the five clerics had been destroyed. When Pryzma heard no sound coming from the room ahead, she decided to go in and have a look for herself. She looked around and found not a living -or dead- soul, "We did it guys! Come in here!" She said cheerily and walked up to a pile of items in the back of the room.**

**"Oooh, stuff!" Nightshade cried and dropped to her knees to look through the pile. Izzy came in and joined Pryzma and Nightshade in their rummaging. Meeks and Elyxya were almost fully healed and entered the room a little disappointed to have missed so much of the battle, but genuinely happy that it was over; undead warriors were a different kind of opponent altogether, and they were not the most pleasant to deal with. "You doing alright?" Masoj asked Meeks and put a hand on her shoulder. "Yep." She said and nodded, staring straight ahead at what the thieves and Pryzma were finding in the pile of items, "You can't fight worth crap." She added and Masoj threw up his arms in defeat. Elyxya patted her healed side and San-Raal appeared beside her and smiled warmly, "You fight really well, Elyxya. It's embarassing when I have to go up afterwards." He said. Elyxya caught Meeks' gaze and Meeks' devious grin revealed her thoughts quite clearly. "Thank you San-Raal, that's very nice." Elyxya said almost absentmindedly, then she said, "You did really well too." San-Raal frowned because he knew he had done awful and realized that Elyxya wasn't listening to him at all; she was busy watching Meeks make faces at her.**

**"Well," Nightshade said, turning to face the team with a bundle of things in her arms, "I found a sword," She pulled every item from her hands as she enumerated them, "an axe, some food, two cleric scrolls, a helmet with funny-looking horns, and some bracers." She said contentedly. Elyxya and Meeks stole forward and lunged for the axe and the sword; Sindel and Will shoved past each-other to get to the two cleric scrolls; and Pryzma, San-Raal, and Masoj all ran for the bracers.**

**After the commotion, Nightshade remained standing with food and the horned helmet in her hands, "Isn't anyone going to take this hat? Look how ugly it is, there's gotta be some-" She stopped in mid-sentence and fitted the helmet atop Izzy's head, "There, that's rather suiting." She chuckled and Pryzma squealed from ahead. Izzy grimaced and tore the thing off, "That's mean! I don't want to wear it! You wear it!" She yelped suddenly and put the helmet on Nightshade's head. The older thief began to take it off when San-Raal spoke up, "Oh don't take it off, it looks nice on you Queen Mab." He said with a light chuckle and awaited Nightshade's imminent, nasty reply.**

**"Oh does it? Looks like I found me a hat!" Nightshade whooped, fitting the horned helmet comfortably atop her head; she knew very well the hat looked awful, but deep inside the humour of it all soothed the air around the group. She strode forward and the team began to get ready to leave, "Wait, I see something over there!" Elyxya cried, running towards the far side wall. Meeks ran after her and they could be seen bending over an alcove in the wall.**

**Pryzma, who had won the battle for the bracers and was fitting them at that moment, smiled at Nightshade's new hat, "Nice. Now you look just about stupid enough to give Izzy some competition." She commented and Nightshade shoved her in response. San-Raal brushed past the two and Nightshade decided to ask him a question, "San-Raal, why do you call me `Queen Mab'?" She inquired, recalling he had done it twice now. The dark elf paused and then smiled, "Because you look just like a character in a story my mother used to tell me when I was a child, the character's name was Queen Mab." He explained simply, puting on his hood. Nightshade frowned and Pryzma brightened, "I know that story! My mother told me it too!" She said happily and took Nightshade's arm and pulled her close to look at her carefully, "And you do look like Queen Mab! That's so amazing, I would never had made the connection if San-Raal wouldn't have mentioned it." She concluded. Nightshade put on a odd expression, "Yes..." She said slowly and averted her attention from the two Drow staring at her like children who think they've seen the easter bunny.**

**"What are they talking about?" Sindel said in a hushed voice. She leaned against the wall and yawned; Will leaned beside her and shrugged, "Don't have a clue. They're in their own world now, Sindel." He said, Sindel's yawn causing him to mimic her. Will brushed off his new deep red clerical robes, "You know what?" He said, turning his head to look at his fellow cleric. "What?" Sindel snapped, a little too sharply. Will ignored the edge in her voice and continued, "I'm really confused. Why would this temple need an entire army of undead warriors? It's not like they've got people coming here to ruin them every week." He remarked. Sindel sighed and turned her head to look at Will, "I don't know. You know what really confuses me?" She paused but not long enough for Will to give an answer, "If these clerics are clerics, then who or what do they worship? We've been through a good part of the temple, at least I think, and I've not seen any indication of what these people believe in. No statues, no symbols-" She meant to continue but Will held up a finger and but her off, "No, we've seen symbols. Remember the one on the door upstairs? And what about the ones on the cloak of these robes?" He said.**

**Sindel gave him a cold stare for proving her wrong and then spoke up, "The symbol on the door upstairs was a big `d'; it probably stands for Darkmoon. And the ones on our cloaks...I just can't say. I mean, they can't possibly believe in a dragon." She figured. Indeed the symbol on the clerical robes was a dragon, curled into a a circle; quite a lovely thing to look at. Will shook his head and closed his eyes, "I don't really care. I'm just getting tired." He declared and looked Sindel up and down; Sindel actually smiled and nodded her agreement.**

**"I found a key!" Elyxya cheered, running up ahead of Meeks and holding up a dark key. She ran up to San-Raal, Nightshade and Pryzma and handed them the key, "What door do you think it's for?" She asked curiously. Pryzma examined it and then gave it to Nightshade, "I don't know, but it's probably for a door down here." She pretty safely guessed. **

**Behind Elyxya, Meeks frowned, "If that's so than I don't want to go yet. I'm getting sick of fighting in the dark; I say we go back to the lobby and up the opposite stairs, where it was bright. I know there's probably going to be more clerics there, but who cares. The lack of light is giving me a monstrous headache." She confessed. She looked around at the rest of the party and everyone was staring at her as if to say, `well we didn't see that one coming'. Sindel and Will both smiled, "Good, I agree with Meeks." Will said and Sindel backed him up with a nod. "But we're not done down here." Izzy whined concernedly. Meeks nodded but didn't let up, "I know, Izzy. But I don't know when the headache'll leave and if I can't fight properly by Elyxya's side then I'm useless and I don't like that. So I say, again, that we go back upstairs." She pressed and looked at everyone in turn, "Elyxya? What do you think?" She asked her best friend and Elyxya made a dismissive gesture, "Whatever, as long as we come back down here." She said. **

**Nightshade, Pryzma, and San-Raal all gave in with a resigned nods but Masoj looked relenting. Meeks figured this would happen and opened her mouth to say something but Sindel was quicker, "Oh just give up you arrogant wizard." She barked at the dark elf. Meeks ignored the rude comment and stepped up before Masoj, "Please Masoj. The team won't go if you don't go." She said and Sindel hissed between her teeth, "Speak for yourself.". Meeks pretended not to hear and put the blade of her polearm to Masoj's chest, "If you don't agree, I'll kill you." She warned and the wizard began to smile, "I would like to see you try." He purred at Meeks. Meeks didn't really have the heart or the guts to kill Masoj but her barbaric side told her it was best to threaten him, "This is silly. This is a simple decision. Now please Masoj, do you follow?" She asked and never left the slender wizard's crimson eyes. Masoj cocked his head to one side and pretended to consider; he knew he was going to follow, and there was no question about it, but he found it so pleasant to tease Meeks.**

**"Let's go." He said finally, and Meeks lowered her blade with a relieved sigh. Elyxya strode up to the front of the crew and Meeks moved to follow but she was held back.**

**Masoj had caught her arm and said softly, "You owe me one." And then pointed a finger at her and let her go.**


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER V**

**The assault on Darkmoon takes a new twist**

**Everyone breathed a sigh of relief on coming back up to the lobby; and it seemed so much easier to walk up a staircase that led to a properly lighted area than it had been to descend into the depths of the catacombs. The two temple clerics that had greeted the team earlier that day were still not in sight; it couldn't help but cross the party's mind where the two clerics might be, and did they know what was going on? **

**Upstairs, there were two doors opposite to each other; the lock was a copper colour and Sindel quickly associated the colour of the lock with the colour of the key she and Will had found in the spider-webbed passageway Nightshade had found after the encounter with Insal. Both doors were locked, but the party only had one key that corresponded with the lock. The gang took their chances with the door on the right and hoped for the best. Inside was a series of rooms (the clergy's rooms) that were arranged within a half-moon shaped corridor. As Meeks had predicted, there were quite a few clerics there; much more than there had been in the catacombs...**

**"Oh my," Sindel gasped as she looked around at the beautifully decorated living quarters of the clerics of temple Darkmoon, "this is absolutely exquisite." She strode over to a thick tapestry and ran her fingers along the rich material. The walls were the same beautiful pale stone as the walls in the lobby; large tapestries hung on every intersection; it was clean and quiet and smelt fresh because of a series of open windows lining the far walls. The whole party was taken by surprise at the richness of the temple's first upper floor; the mood for the destruction of Darkmoon had been set in the darkness of the catacombs, but now it was as if they had stepped into another world. **

** Nightshade worked at a lock on one of the chamber doors, "These quarters are as two-faced as the rest of the temple. The two clerics that met us at the door when we first arrived, they were two-faced; the basement had skeleton warriors, and now these halls are so beautiful...there must be a catch, they're following the two-face pattern too." She commented bluntly and twisted her wrist to get her lockpick to meet up with the release latch inside the small lock. Nightshade was right, it was as if the temple had a double identity. Well it obviously had to, if it wanted the residents of the Waterdeep off it's back. **

**Pryzma and Izzy peered around a corner up ahead, "The corridor ends near. The other door we saw that we didn't unlock, that's the exit." Izzy said, examining every inch of the halls and making sure nothing escaped her gaze. Pryzma tapped her fingers nervously on the side of the wall, "True. I'm so paranoid...I'm expecting a bunch of clerics to come in here and take us away." She said quietly and turned to look back at the party behind her. **

**The lock Nightshade was picking clicked open and she and the group walked inside the little cubicle. The room was large enough to suit two people comfortably and it looked as though whoever lived there was a clean person. There was a large bed on the far end of the room and two windows on either side of it; there was little furniture, a chair, table and dresser. **

**"Well the person who runs this place sure knows how to take care of his staff." Masoj commented, coming up beside Nightshade who stood in the center of the room. "You mean Dran, Dran Draggore." Will called from the back; he was rummaging through the room's inhabitant's papers that lay scattered about a small oak table. Masoj frowned and turned to face him, "Yeah. What about this Dran anyway? I wasn't really informed on his subject before getting into this mission; who is he?" He asked, genuinely concerned now that the subject had been brought up. Will left the papers after finding nothing interesting and walked up to Masoj, "Well, Khelben told me-" He began and then Sindel came up beside him and shushed him promptly, "Khelben does not know what he speaks of. I've been living here as long as he and never has he said or done anything right about clerical affairs; he's a bum in that field." She declared, shutting Will up as quickly as she always did.**

**Masoj raised an eyebrow at her and decided that maybe the old wretch did have a point, he took a deep breath and chose to hear her out, "Do tell, Sindel." He said curtly. Sindel tugged at the cuffs of her robe and then looked past Masoj at what the rest of the party was doing, "Well, Dran Draggore has been around for quite some time. Before this temple, there was another; another temple Darkmoon. Something went wrong directly after the construction and it had to be demolished and rebuilt; I'm not quite sure why, though. Anyway, not much was said about Darkmoon until a lot of people became its clergy. It happened all so quickly, kind of odd too." Sindel said, and now she had the attention of everyone in the party. She sat down at the little chair in front of the oak table and continued her tale, "Darkmoon grew more importatnt then, and so the lords of the Waterdeep, including Khelben, asked to chat with the temple's leader. So Dran went, and Khelben got the hunch that Dran was up to no good; once again, I just don't know how." She paused and frowned for a moment then looked up at Elyxya.**

**"What do you mean, `Khelben got the hunch that Dran was up to no good'?" Elyxya asked, leaning against Meeks who bit her lip in anticipation of what was to come next in Sindel's `story'. Sindel shook her head, "I'm not sure of that; but I know he got that idea because since that day, Khelben was giving Dran trouble. And when I say trouble, I mean trouble. He would send out search parties every week and would constantly badger Darkmoon to see what was going on within its walls, he would spend hours fighting with Dran about morals and ethics and all that stuff." She pushed back a lock of golden hair and made hand gestures as she spoke.**

**Pryzma sat on the floor beside Nightshade, "Did you know Dran personally?" She asked, hoping the answer would be positive so that the team could learn more about their opponent. Sindel raised her eyebrows and nodded, "Oh yes. When Khelben and the lords of the Waterdeep destroyed my temple, I went to one of their meetings and Dran was there. I bitched and bitched and bitched and Dran began defending me...I was so angry at them...I just tore out of there as fast as I could. I still don't forgive them for taking down my temple. Anyway, when I stormed out, Dran followed. We talked, and seeing as I was enraged, Dran and I had a common enemy." Sindel stared out the window and anyone in the party would have given anything to know what exactly it was that she was thinking.**

**Nightshade's voice broke an uneasy silence, "You didn't plot against the lords or Khelben with him, did you?" She asked skeptically, knowing that Sindel was capable of anything when she was angry. Sindel smiled and shook her head, "No, Nightshade. We talked is all. He invited me to his temple, but I never went. I just stayed within the city. It was so long ago." She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, "He would say the trickiest things...things I couldn't say anything against because, because they were like paradoxes. He spoke in riddles; he was very smart, obviously. Sometimes, he would slipup and then he'd cover it up in a split-second; it was incredible. He was easy to talk to...but maybe that's because I was so angry...and he was funny too, but there was something about him that I just couldn't figure out." She said with an effort at the thought.**

**San-Raal peered over Elyxya's shoulder, "Can you figure out what it was now?" He asked; he hated that there was an element of mystery about the party's enemy. Sindel didn't even look at him, "No. I've thought about it, but no. Maybe in time I will." She paused then held up a finger, "You know when I was first summoned into this mission by Khelben, I thought it was just another attempt to pick on Darkmoon. Dran and Khelben's feuding hasn't stopped yet, and I figured this was just a way to rid Khelben of his nemesis. But now that we've seen the undead army...I just don't know what to think." She sighed, exasperated at the whole situation. She looked around at everyone and suddenly found herself wishing she was back home and that this whole thing had never happened.**

**Will put his hands on Sindel's shoulders, "Do you think Dran still remembers you?" He asked, the question being quite important at the moment. Sindel craned her neck to look up at Will behind her, "Maybe, maybe not. Hopefully he doesn't." She said dryly. There was a general uneasy shift in the party and Izzy bounded to her feet, "Let's go before someone finds us all here and captures us. It's getting dark out and we're all tired so once we've cleaned this place out we can go down to the resurrection room and sleep." She said and Nightshade and Pryzma were taken aback by her initiative.**

**Meeks got up with Masoj's help, "Great idea." She said and the party headed out of the little room. They strode down the corridor and were intercepted by a few clerics who were not killed, but put off. It seemed Nightshade's plan about switching Will and Sindel's robes was useful after all; the temple clerics the party met up with asked many questions that Will answered as being `Dran's will'. No longer was the little group stopped in the living quarters, not even when they broke into certain rooms and snooped about.**

**Near the end of the corridor, the gang ventured into a certain room and found some interesting items on the floor. **

**"I ain't touching them!" Pryzma sneered, backing away from a pile of bones on the floor. Nightshade grasped her friend and it became obvious that she didn't want to touch the remains either. Masoj strode out and picked up something on the other side of the bones, "Look, there's three more bags of that stone to flesh dust behind here." He said and scooped up the bags, then put them into Nightshade's backpack along with the others they'd found earlier that morning. Masoj paused and returned to the bones, "There's something else too." He mumbled and pulled a folded sheet of paper from under the fallen covers of the little cot at the back of the room.**

**Elyxya brightened, "What's it say?" She asked, stifling back a yawn. Masoj opened the letter and read, "`Dear Khelben, my infiltration within Darkmoon was a sinch; I ambushed a cleric and used her robes as cover. I then said I was a newcomer and the clerics told me I would have to pass a test in order to become a true member of the cloth. Today I pass the test, Khelben, and with my many skills I think that I will succeed adequately. More later, Amber.'." Masoj bit his lower lip and looked up at everyone before him; Meeks and Elyxya were looking down at the bones on the floor and giggling, Will and Sindel bore blank expressions, Nightshade and Pryzma understood what was going on and stared back at Masoj, and Izzy and San-Raal both looked concerned.**

**Elyxya burst out in hysterics, "Oh she past the test alright, she's dead!" She cried overly loud. Masoj dropped the letter in a disgusted manner, "Alright then, what are we going to tell Khelben? We were supposed to bring back Amber...we can't just mail him the bones and say `oh yeah, and here's Amber'." He said sarcastically and there were a few chuckles from the group in general. Izzy, who stood beside San-Raal and held her stomach as though she was going to heave, spoke up, "W-we could resurrect her downstairs." She squeeked. Silence overtook the room and then Sindel took a deep breath, "Izzy, please. You mean to tell me we're going to waste one of our three chances to resurrect someone on some girl that obviously isn't worth all she's said to be?" She said through clenched teeth, pointing down at the pile of bones on the floor. **

**Izzy quieted and San-Raal took her place, "Well, you see Sindel, wouldn't it be wiser to give Khelben what he wants? He is employing you in this quest, you know. And you're powerful enough to resurrect someone anyway, and so is Will!" He argued. The rest of the team watched on in silence. Sindel shook her finger at the Drow, "Not elves, I can't! And how many elves do we have in this party?" She asked and then made a quick head count, "There's four elves here; you, Masoj, Izzy and Pryzma. And you're all relatively important so I need those three chances!!!" She hollered, making a point but not a strong enough one. "We resurrect Amber and that's final." San-Raal ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.**

**Elyxya and Meeks both began snickering and Pryzma and Nightshade turned away in anticipation of what was most likely to come. Sindel's face went red and she lunged at San-Raal, nearly knocking him to the floor, "Are you giving me orders, little man?" She hissed malignantly and meant to hit the slender wizard but Will sharply pulled her away. "Enough! You started with Masoj this morning and now you're picking on San-Raal, now I won't accept that! Amber will be resurrected and you're not going to say anything about it." Will scolded Sindel, squeezing her arms like a mother might a disbehaving child.**

**Sindel tore away and adjusted her robes, "Then don't count on me to heal the little bitch." She swore ruefully and stalked out of the room to go examine a statuette just outside. Will shook his head and made a puching gesture in her direction and then turned back to his team, "Okay, pick up the bones and let's go." He turned to San-Raal and patted him on the shoulder, "Now you know what she doesn't like. Steer around it next time." He advised and San-Raal nodded stiffly. Elyxya came up behind San-Raal as Will left the room and fluffed the dark elf's hair, "Ha-ha," She mocked, "Sindel picked on you!" She chanted childishly and San-Raal scowled back at her.**

**Tired and weary, the nine warriors headed back downstairs to the resurrection chamber and got settled for the evening. While Izzy, Pryzma, and Nightshade staked out their spots for the night, Will huddled before the large golden cross.**

**"I hope this works. I'm so tired." Will said, closing his eyes and beginning his spiritual summoning. Sindel stood back and wore another of her patented `you're disobeying me' stares, "So just chuck the freaking bones and get some sleep, Will. Amber can wait." She snapped, then added under her breath, "A long time.". Will continued his incantation and ingnored Sindel. In the space of five minutes, a blinding flash of light appeared; Amber's blanched bones began to grow flesh, layer after layer, and then her clothing appeared and she was whole again. Amber coughed blood and then rolled over; Sindel uttered a `hmph' and stalked away and Will watched her go, disappointed at her disgusting, child-like behaviour.**

**As Will attempted to talk to the newly-arrived member, Meeks, Elyxya, Masoj and San-Raal gathered around curiously. "Amber?" Will asked softly, helping the girl to sit up and holding her head. Amber didn't respond immediately and Meeks shook her head, "Nope, no, that ain't gonna do it Will. You gotta yell." She said confidently and bent close to give it a try, "HEY AM-" She began yelling when the girl's eyes opened. "Hello." She said thickly, swallowing her saliva. Meeks pulled back and realized her crude ways weren't necessary after all.**

**Amber put a hand to her head and looked around, "I'm still here? I-oh no," She said sadly, "I failed the test didn't I?" She asked dumbly. Elyxya nodded and gave Amber a false smile, "You crashed and burned." She said, breaking the news to Amber non-chalantly. Amber frowned at Elyxya and then her eyes went wide and she sprang to her feet, attracting Nightshade and Pryzma's, as well as Izzy's, attention. "Who are you people? You're not of Darkmoon, are you?" She asked in a panic, patting about her waist to try to find a sword that was no longer there. Masoj looked Amber up and down and decided she was not the brightest girl, he then wondered what had possessed Khelben to have made her his scout, "No, no we're not. We were sent by Khelben to take this place down; and to take you back to him. We found your bones upstairs and decided it best to resurrect you." He explained and Amber was dumbfounded. Masoj began to think bringing back Amber wasn't such a good idea; after this the thought crossed his mind that Khelben's reason for making her his scout must have been expandiblity.**

**Amber blinked, "Oh. Okay." She said and it was clear to everyone that she didn't understand at all but no one wanted to waste any time explaining further more. Pryzma yawned and shoved Izzy foreward, "We have a friend for you." She said and Izzy jerked foreward and waved at Amber, "Her name's Izzy." Pryzma said sharply; she was positive that she had found the perfect friend for Amber. **

**"My name is Izzy." Izzy repeated and smiled cheerily, "I'm a thief." She said proudly. Amber smiled wide and suddenly hugged Izzy, "Me too! That's so cool!" She cried and the rest of the party groaned and split up. Amber was a blonde, blue-eyed girl of medium height and build; she was an elf, and she and Izzy acted as though they were from the same family. Nightshade and Pryzma silently agreed that they had found some new meat to prey on.**

**In the far corner by the golden cross, Will and Sindel layed out their blankets for the night. After creating food for the whole party, the two clerics retreated to their spots and sat down to eat, "I bet you feel great." Sindel said sarcastically, "Now haven't you just resurrected the most useful person in the world? Now was that ever a good use of our only resurrection tool?" She taunted, genuinely peeved. Sindel wanted to strangle Will for what just happened; Amber was as useless to the quest as Izzy, and she would only turn out to be a burden. Will put down his cup of water and pulled away from Sindel, "Don't scold me priestess. Amber belongs to Khelben and she will be returned, as planned. If you have a problem with that, talk to Khelben not me." He said defensively, and then added, "I've used up a lot of energy today on resurrecting Amber and I won't be able to contact Khelben to tell him we've found her." He said cautiously; at his side, Sindel's eyes flared because she knew what would come next, "So you're going to have to contact Khelben with the coin he gave us and tell him." Will finished. Sindel opened her mouth to retort, but her argument came out as a tired yawn. Will smiled and patted Sindel's head teasingly.**

**On the opposite end of the golden cross, Meeks and Elyxya ate everything they could get their hands on, "Yoink!" Meeks said, sharply tearing a piece of apple from Masoj's hand and stuffing it in her mouth. At that spot, Meeks and Elyxya had unprofessionally fixed their blankets; San-Raal and Masoj had joined them to eat, their blankets were further down the room, against the wall that separated the two teleporters. **

**"`I'm a thief!'" San-Raal mocked, in a high-pitched voice; the present conversation was about how dumb the new member of the team was. Elyxya burst out laughing and nearly choked on her bread, "Oh man! That's good." She gasped, a tear rolling down her cheek from the excessive laughing, "D-did you s-see them hug?" She asked, barely able to say the words, "Bah!" She cried and began laughing all over again. San-Raal burried his face in his hands and laughed too; Meeks, too busy stealing Masoj's food, missed the joke and threw her hands up in disbelief, "Look what you did!" She yelped at Masoj, "You made me miss a joke!" She said and shoved Masoj lightly. The dark wizard smiled and fingered the silver medallion hanging from his neck, "Shut up Meeks. If you'd quit ripping off my food then maybe you could have heard the joke." He said, a strand of his hair falling in his face. Meeks stuck her tongue out at him, "You shut up." She said. Masoj drew himself up, "No you shut up." He retorted; Meeks drew herself up too and faced Masoj, "No you shut up!" She repeated. The two started pushing and shoving and then Elyxya and San-Raal both cried in unison, "No you both shut up!".**

**All in the same spot (near the left teleporter), Nightshade and Pryzma, Izzy and Amber all layed out their blankets and sat. Although Izzy knew that she was most rejected by Nightshade and Pryzma, she chose to be near them almost at all times; and now that she had a new friend, she brought her along too. **

**"So I think that these people may not even be clerics." Pryzma said, concluding her conversation with Nightshade on the clerics of Darkmoon. From behind her, Amber's voice chimed, "Oh but they are, Pryzma. I've seen-" She began, intruding into the others' conversation, but Pryzma cut her off quickly, "Hey! Was I talking to you?" She asked, making a chopping gesture with her hand in Amber's general direction. Amber threw up her hands in surrender, "I'm just saying is all." She tried, not quite realizing that she was in for a mighty wallop. Nightshade turned around and jabbed her knuckles into Amber's leg, "Don't you ever know when to shut up, babe?" She said, watching proudly as Amber's jaw dropped with the sudden pain.**

**Izzy frowned and came to Amber's aid, "Hey, that's mean Nightshade. She's new." She put her hands on her hips sternly. Pryzma sneered, "So? When you were new we picked on you. So why can't Amber have a turn?" She said, smiling at Amber and then lunging in to hit her but missing. Izzy tried to hit Pryzma but Nightshade slapped her hand, "Because she doesn't deserve it." Izzy continued defensively, wisely placing herself between Amber and the two bullies. Pryzma's eyebrows arched, "So...you're saying... you do?" She tried, her ebony sking making her look even more demonic in the torchlight surrounding them. Izzy shook her head confusedly and closed her eyes, "Yes...I mean, no...ugh!" She cried and shoved Pryzma away. **

**Nightshade grinned, "Burn." She said simply, contented that Pryzma had once again found a way to outsmart Izzy (not that it was difficult or anything). **

**When the eating was over, or should I say when Meeks and Elyxya were done eating, the group settled down for some well-deserved sleep. All except Sindel, that is, who retrieved Khelben's coin from Elyxya and sat up in her `bed', concentrating in her fatigue on communicating with Khelben. **

** After a moment of dizzyness, a vision of Khelben appeared in her mind. She was a little disoriented because it was her first time communicating telepathically with someone. "Sindel!" Khelben's crystal-clear image called in the priestess's mind, "How is everyone? What have you all discovered?" He asked cheerily, genuinely happy to finally hear from his search party. When the measly headache subsided, Sindel was apt to `speak', "Khelben. We are all fine. And we have found Amber." She said shortly, eager to get this over with and go to sleep. Khelben's eyes brightened, "That's fantastic! Was Amber alright?" He asked. Sindel felt her eyes begin to close from fatigue, "Oh...she was dead." She said non-chalantly, wondering if Khelben really saw her as clearly as she saw him.**

**Khelben drew back, "Dead? You all resurrected her?" He tried, his brow furrowing in confusion. Sindel scowled, "Not all of us resurrected her, just some. Anyhow, she failed a test to become part of this temple and we found her bones while snooping in the clergy's living quarters. She'll tell you about her failiure when she sees you." Sindel snapped and yawned. Khelben rubbed his beard thoughtfully, and wondered if by the looks of it, Sindel was too tired to tell the truth, "Really? Alright then, what else have you to tell me?" Khelben asked, now well aware of Sindel's impatience.**

**Sindel yawned a second time and groaned, "Ohhh, I'm tired. Um, well...we fought an entire army of skeletal warriors; and we found a new member, a mage." She said. Khelben nodded, "Really? I can't belive you-" He stopped short and the telepathic connection went foggy and then Sindel was hit by a massive headache. "Khelben?" She called mentally, probing in the sudden confusion for the archmage. There was a faint muffled voice and then the `picture' became clear again.**

**Sindel held a hand to her aching head, "Khelben, jeez what-" She began and then realized that she wasn't looking at Khelben's image anymore. The man before her now had a leaner face than Khelben, green eyes instead of brown, and darker hair. He was smiling smugly and he wore a thick, red and gold, clerical overcoat. **

**"Dran!" Sindel gasped, completely caught off guard by the high-priest's intrusion; she felt paralyzed and didn't know what to do. "Sindel, what an honour to see you in Darkmoon's robes." Dran Draggore said in an incredibly calm voice; he didn't loose his smile and that made Sindel enormously uncomfortable. "D-Dran, hello." Sindel blurted, wondering if she and the entire party would die now that their enemy knew they were within the temple. Dran's smile became a smirk, "Well, I can honestly say I didn't expect you to come ravaging about my temple. You're here with seven others as well as one of my prisonners, and Amber too; you and your death squad have annihalated my undead army and have pillaged the catacombs." He said, and then suddenly his features turned angry and his emerald eyes flared, "What do you think you're doing???" He screamed. **

**Sindel cringed and then gathered up some courage, "So you're admitting that you're up to no good?" She asked, cocking her head to one side, her golden hair falling atop her shoulder. Dran raised an eyebrow, "Well, yes. Isn't it obvious?" He said matter-of-factly, gesturing with his hands. Sindel giggled at the confession, it sounded comical in its simplicity; "Oh, then...me and the others are here to destroy you." She said back, her response sounding as corny as Dran's confession. There was a moment of silence between the two and then Dran burst out laughing, causing Sindel to frown and feel insulted, "What? What have I ever done to you? This fight is not yours, Sindel." Dran exclaimed, looking Sindel in the eye. **

**"I know it's not, but Khelben has involved me. He sent me and my party here on a mission. You and your temple are terrorizing the whole city, people are disappearing and Khelben has reason to believe it's your fault. If you wanted to feud with Khelben, then it was your responsibility to keep the rest of the city out of it. And seeing as you haven't done that, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go through with my mission." Sindel scolded the high-priest, a stern expression plastered on her face. Dran looked offended, "Sindel, I can't be blamed for every disappearance in the Waterdeep; that's just stupid. Sure I admit some people have died here, but that was their fault." He said defensively. Sindel shook her head, "Amber died in your test...just what do you have in that test? And what about the undead army?" She demanded sharply. **

**Dran's gaze erred, "Amber...Amber was...well...an idiot. There, I said it. Anyway, the skeletons were meant for Khelben, not you!" He cried, throwing up his hands in despair. Sindel seemed to consider the information and Dran pressed, "I know you hate Khelben just as much as I do so it would be wrong of you to put me down." He paused and Sindel looked him straight in the eye, "Khelben has wiped out a lot of my people and has been doing me nothing but harm, I want to fight back." Dran continued, very well aware of Sindel's sensibility, "Khelben was going to be voted out of the lords of the Waterdeep because he was growing too bias on important matters that had to be regarded and judged impartially. He was also accused of treachery; he needed something to bring him importance and win him the confidence of the lords. That's when he decided that temple Darkmoon was `a threat' to the people of the Waterdeep. He figured that by leading a mission `to save the world' such as the one you're now on, he was going to solidify his place among the lords." Dran explained smoothly, not a word escaping Sindel's lips.**

**Sindel swallowed thickly, her mind spun and she felt awful; was Dran telling her the truth, or was he just trying to get her off his back? So the priest's story was believable, but Sindel just didn't know enough facts to tell fact from fiction; she'd honestly never felt this confused. "But...Dran...I-I can't let you...do this." She stuttered, wishing for the second time that day that none of this had ever happened. Dran shook his head slowly, "And I'm afraid I can't let you stop me." He said seriously, smiling at Sindel. Sindel whimpered weakly, "But-" She started, but Dran waved and said, "Perhaps we'll see each other later, my lady." And disappeared before Sindel could respond.**

**The telepathic link ceased abruptly and Sindel was left alone, in the dark. "Oh, no." Sindel moaned, throwing Khelben's coin into the darkness and burying her face in her hands.**

**What on earth was she going to do? Who was she going to believe?**

*** * ***

**Later that night, a crash of thunder robbed Meeks of her sleep. She opened her eyes slowly, and realized there was a light burning inside the room; she yawned and sat up, trying to focus on the light's origin. She sleepily grasped the polearm laying by her side, fearing an attack, but put it back down again when she saw that the light was coming from a torch on the wall above the spot that Masoj and San-Raal had picked for the night. Masoj sat on his covers and stared back at Meeks.**

**Meeks rubbed her eyes and whispered hoarsely, "What are you doing?". Masoj smiled then whispered back malignantly, "I can't sleep on an empty stomach." He gave Meeks an accusating stare. Meeks folded her arms, "Fine, I'm sorry I kept stealing your food." She said. "No you're not." Masoj responded calmly, and then began fiddling with a small black object. Meeks, attracted by all shiny things, got up and tip-toed over to where Masoj sat; she plopped down beside him and he looked surprised that she actually got up and came over.**

**"What's that?" Meeks asked, pointing to the object in Masoj's long hands. The dark elf held it up; it was an onyx figurine of a panther. "It's a gift from a denizen of the lower plains." He said, his voice soft and enchanting. Meeks' face went blank and Masoj understood that she had no idea what he had just said, "It's magical." He resumed quickly. Meeks smiled and waited for her sleepiness to cease before she said anything, "Oh. What does it do?" She asked, taking the small object from Masoj's hands and holding it up before her eyes.**

**Masoj watched Meeks carefully, "It allows me to summon a panther called Gwenwhyvar to my side whenever I wish. Kind of like a body guard, if you rather." He said, and then caught Meeks' gaze as she looked up at him attentively, "But the cat has become more of a friend than a guard." He finished, taking the figurine back. Meeks' smile didn't fade, "I wish I had something like that." She said softly, the sound of the rain outside muffled yet insistant. Masoj rested a hand on his raised knee, "You do." He said simply, and Meeks frowned, "You have Elyxya. She's always by your side and she's your protector as much as she is your friend." He explained. Meeks nodded at the statement and then frowned again, "What's it like in Menzoberranzan?" She asked suddenly, "I've only heard stories but I don't really believe people unless I'm sure they're right." She said. Meeks watched as Masoj's expression darkened; she examined the dark elf's visage and wondered if she had made a mistake in asking about his homeland. **

**The slender Drow wizard looked at her for a moment and then said, "Well Meeks, it's rough. But I'm lucky; you see by teaching at the Academy, I don't really have the time to get involved in the petty afflictions that affect the rest of the city. And a good thing too, because I don't really have the same point of view as many of my people." He looked over at Meeks and hoped she wouldn't ask too many questions.**

**"What do you mean?" Meeks asked, enjoying this little conversation and finding Masoj's voice remarkably pleasant to listen to; she then wondered if that talent made him a better teacher . Masoj smiled at Meeks' perseverance, "My people, the Drow, are cruel and callous. I myself am not one of the nicest, nor am I one of the meanest; I just think differently about certain important issues. You see, the Drow act on hatred and jealousy and conciet and racism; I act on logic. Just that one fact draws me apart from more than ninety-five percent of everyone in Menzoberrazan." Masoj said and examined Meeks as he spoke, finding her person somehow softened in the glow of the torchlight. Meeks smiled, "That blows." She commented. Unexpectedly, Masoj began laughing whole-heartedly; one of the most pleasant things Meeks had ever heard, "Yes Meeks, it does blow." Masoj acknowledged, finding that for once, Meeks had made a suitable comment. **

**Masoj looked at Meeks for a bit before speaking again, "You think I'm awful, don't you?" He said darkly and his crimson eyes seemed alive in the torchlight. Masoj didn't want to seem repulsive because of his heritage and certainly didn't want Meeks to think him unapproachable. Meeks shook her head, "No. But I gotta admit that you are a pain in the butt." She said bluntly. Masoj drew back and looked concerned, his eyes widening in surprise, "You're nice." He responded sarcastically, then, "Geez, I didn't see that one coming." He said. Meeks laughed, "I'm not lying." She declared, brigning her hands up in feigned surrender, "But don't worry, I don't hate you, Masoj." She said and patted the Drow's knee lightly, "You're funny and you're smarter than I am." She concluded and nodded to put emphasis on her statement. Meeks was telling the truth, and even though Masoj Hun'ett was a complex and quiet individual that often seemed haughty and cold, she really didn't hate him. **

**Masoj smiled and an awfully loud crack of thunder sounded and, startled, Meeks clung to Masoj's side. Meeks didn't move away once the thunder subsided and Masoj looked down at her, "Afraid of thunder?" He asked, and didn't quite know what to do with the warrior on his side. Meeks' response was barely audible, "It's embarrassing that a fighter who's seen the world's horrors have such a pathetically childish fear....but yes. I'm afraid of thunder." She murmured, burying her face in the thick velvet of Masoj's robes. "That's...a pity." Masoj stuttered, embarrassed and admittedly a little excited. Tentatively, he wrapped his arm around the lady and pressed her against his ribs.**

**Meeks considered moving but Masoj's long ebony hand around her shoulders actually felt nice; comfortable now and somehow secure, Meeks felt her fatigue come back to her in waves, "Can you explain to me what a `denizen of the lower plains' is?" She asked sleepily. Masoj leaned his head back against the wall, "It's a being that doesn't travel this plain, the material plain, but the lower plain; which is kind of like where dead people go, just not exactly there...that's the spiritual plain." He began, "It's not really a physical being, it's more like-" He stopped short when he noticed Meeks' breathing was slow and deep.**

**Masoj looked down at Meeks and smiled, understanding her ruse; she was sleeping soundly.**


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER VI**

**Mystery solved...problem created**

**When Meeks opened her eyes the next morning, she was being stared at by Elyxya. It took a moment for Meeks to understand why she was being stared at, and then she realized she'd been sleeping against Masoj's side all night. **

**"What?" Meeks yawned, pulling away from her comfortable spot beside the young dark elf and wondering just how long Elyxya had been watching her. Elyxya pursed her lips and nodded slowly; Masoj shifted and opened his eyes. "What?" Masoj asked sleepily at Elyxya and stretched his arms. Elyxya smiled thinly and blinked, "N...nothing." She said simply and strode up to her friends. Elyxya had been the first to wake and had found Meeks' blankets empty; she'd looked around the room and had spotted her with Masoj. She didn't know what to think but decided she'd get any desired information out of Meeks soon enough.**

**The other team members still slept soundly, the only sound in the room being the mumbling of Pryzma's dreaming. Beside Masoj, San-Raal awoke and sat up weakly, "Elyxya, good morning." He said, as the red-headed warrior sat down by his side. Elyxya smiled at San-Raal, "Hey. You slept well, bud?" She asked lightly, and reached out to fix a lock of the wizard's disheveled hair. San-Raal remained sleepy, "Oh yes. Very well." He answered and smiled suddenly. Elyxya frowned at the grin and San-Raal debated telling her he'd dreamt about her. Deciding against it, San-Raal just nodded and kept his smile.**

**"Let's wake everyone else up so that we can get back to ransacking this place." Meeks opted cheerily, pulling herself to her feet and puting on one of her ever-present smiles. Elyxya couldn't help but mirror her friend's good humour and pulled San-Raal to his feet along with her, "Come on." She said and headed for the corner where Sindel and Will slept. The two quietly strode over to the clerics' blankets and crouched down; "Sindel, Will?" They tried, quietly at first and then louder, "Sindel! Will!". Neither of the two clerics moved; Elyxya looked over at San-Raal as if to say `so what do we do now?' and San-Raal seemed to get an idea. **

**The drow bent close to Sindel's face and just stared at her. Elyxya frowned and wondered what San-Raal was up to, "What are you doing?" She whispered hoarsely in his ear. San-Raal held up a finger to quiet her and continued to stare intently at Sindel. In quick time, Sindel's eyes fluttered open and with the shock of seeing San-Raal so close, she threw her fist forward and caught him on the cheek. Too late to warn San-Raal against his choice of strategy, Elyxya's jaw dropped as San-Raal's head whipped to the side with the impact of Sindel's punch. "For the love of god!" Sindel cried, breathing heavily and attempting to sit up, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She spat, not even giving San-Raal a second look. Will awoke from the commotion and rubbed his eyes, "What? What just happened?" He mumbled, getting no immediate response.**

**Elyxya lookd from Sindel to San-Raal and back again, "Holy mother of god." She gasped, getting up to tend to San-Raal, "San-Raal, you should have told me what you were planning to do, I mean I would have been able to warn you..." She babbled, trying to get a better look at the unlucky wizard's cheek. San-Raal rubbed his cheek and looked bewildered, "I...uh...oops." He managed and let Elyxya touch his face. No damage had been done, Sindel had only gotten him on the cheek after all, but San-Raal would still feel pain for a little while.**

**On the opposite end of the room, Meeks and Masoj had a blast shaking the remaining teammates awake. "Wake up call!" Meeks called in Nightshade's ear and shook the older theif roughly, causing her eyes to snap open as well as her mouth, "Alright! Alright! I'm up!" Nightshade yelped, weakly shoving Meeks in return. Masoj grasped Pryzma's shoulders and rolled her back and forth until the lady yawned sleepily, "Masoj, go away...I'm busy." Pryzma moaned to her fellow dark elf and rolled over to face Nightshade. "No you're not, babe. Now get up." Nightshade said, giving her pal a reality check and looking over at Amber and Izzy who still slept.**

**"Do we wake them up or do you?" Masoj asked, motionning towards Amber and Izzy. Pryzma shook her finger and her head, "Nah, I don't think you'll be doing any more waking for today guys. Let us do these ones." She offered, concocting a crazy sheme to bully the two theives awake. Silently, Nightshade and Pryzma crept up to the two others and took deep breaths. "Move your ass soldier!" They both screeched simultaneously in Amber and Izzy's ears. Both dimwits bolted upright and flinched, "Hunh? What?" Izzy murmured, staring straight forward, her brain still frozen from sleep (or was her brain always frozen?). Amber coughed and looked around her, "Aww, I wanna go home. I had the loveliest dream last night that I was back..." She began but Masoj cut her off rudely, "Shut up Amber, just shut up." He snapped and got up to join Elyxya and San-Raal.**

**When everyone had gathered their things and were ready to adventure through the temple again; that is, after breakfast and a communal mocking of San-Raal's injury, personal matters throughout he party quieted and the group was eager to go. Once passed the safety of the resurrection chamber teleporters, the big question was where to go next. Will pointed out that the living quarters of the clerics had been clean-sweeped; Will was the first to regain rational thought patterns. Pryzma mentionned that the catacombs had not been cleared yet that Elyxya possesed a key that remained unused. With that out in the open, the obvious decision was to return to the catacombs and descend to the lowest chambers the group had hancewise ventured through; those chambers, where they'd found San-Raal, had not been entirely checked out. Before the party had been able to walk the perimeter of the lage, dark room, Nightshade had found a passageway leading to the dungeons. The dungeons were located to the right of the room, which meant that the entire left side of the chamber was yet to be discovered.**

**In that particular chamber now, the group scouted about for another clue to their mission. "Well, there's nothing upstairs we've not cleared. So that means that whatever comes next has to be down here someplace." Elyxya said, disappointed that `whatever came next' had to be in the catacombs. Beside Elyxya, Meeks looked around as though she expected the walls to cave in on her, "I was hoping we wouldn't have to come back down here, to tell you the truth." She lurmured and sniffled at the musty air. The entire party was rather quiet, it was morning after all. **

**Following the leaders, Sindel and Will trudged along without really caring about the gloominess of their environment. "Did you sleep well, Sindel?" Will asked lightly, hoping to start a conversation to chase away the silence. Sindel yawned and clutched her sword, "I guess." She mumbled and looked back to see what everyone else was up to. A thought made its way into Will's mind, "How was your communication with Khelben?" He asked. The question snapped Sindel back to real life, "Oh...it went well." She stuttered, debating wether to tell her crew about Dran's interception or omitting it. Will frowned, surprised he'd not recieved a diminuative glare for having pressured Sindel into doing the communication the night before, "Oh, alright. Did you tell him about Amber and about the undead army?" He inquired, hoping Sindel hadn't forgotten to mention anything that would make the party look sucessful.**

**"Yes, I did." Sindel breathed, staring down at her feet. Will cleared his throat, "And did you tell him-" He started to ask but Sindel whipped her head to the side and sneered, "Quit it with the damn questions, alright? It's morning and I'm not in a very good mood." She hissed. Will turned the other way and thought to himself, "morning has nothing to do with it". The dialogue stopped between the clergy at that precise moment.**

**The group made their way down a winding corridor that cut off into a small room. They found themselves facing a locked door on the left side of the room. Elyxya reached into her backpack, "I'll bet that key we found in the room with the undead army goes with this lock." She said and pulled the dark key from beneath a healing salve. The team looked on as Elyxya inserted the key into the lock and turned it; as she had predicted, the locked clicked open. Meeks stormed into the chamber ahead yelling and then she went quiet.**

**"What's the matter, babe?" Nightshade asked, striding into the room. Meeks looked down at something, "There's a piece of paper here and a whole lot of blood." She said, and bent down to pick up the paper. Nightshade took the paper from Meeks' hands and turned around, "Hey! Izzy! Bring that torch over here." She called to the back of the party. Izzy dashed through her other teammates and stopped perilously close to Nightshade, "Yes?" She panted. Nightshade sharply pushed her away, "Not so close." She said. When everyone became curious as to what was going on and had gathered around Nightshade, the thief read, "I know this temple was built by Drow. The Drow have a fascination with hidden passegeways, and because of this I revel in the discovery of the temple's largest passageway yet. I know where it is, but it is blocked by two things; a wall and a trap. The wall-" She stopped reading where the paper had been burnt off. **

**There was complete silence until San-Raal spoke up, " So, whoever wrote this probably died here," He pointed to the large bloodstain before Meeks, "and his -or her- body was taken away by the temple's clergy." He deduced, looking at everyone in turn. Amber shook her head, "I wasn't me, I can tell you that." She said defensively before anyone asked her any questions. Izzy coughed and snatched the paper out of Nightshade's hands, "So this person found a big passageway, eh? Where do you guys s'pose it is?" She asked.**

**There were a few shrugs here and there and a few empty gazes and then, "My guess is right here." Masoj said and motioned to the walls around them. He meant to continue but Pryzma's voice sounded from behind everyone, "Come here! There's some stuff in here!" She shouted, her voices bouncing off the walls. In a rush, everyone turned and Pryzma could be seen leaning out of a doorway to the right and waving. The group made their way inside the little room. **

**"Look there's some healing potions," She started and held the glass bottles out for everyone to see, "don't even think about it, Izzy. You're not touchin' them." Pryzma snapped defensively when Izzy reached out to grasp the salves. Pryzma tucked the bottles into her own backpack, "And there's another one of those horns." She said and took the horn out of the alcove in the wall. **

**Meeks lunged forward and took the shiny thing from Pryzma's hands, "It's just like the other horn we found in the guards barracks yesterday morning!" She exclaimed, crouched down, opened her backpack and retrieved the other horn to compare the two. As Meeks examined the two instruments, an inscription on the handle of the things caught the light of Izzy's torch and attracted Elyxya's attention, "Wait, look!" She gasped and pointed to the shimmering letters, "There's an inscription." She said.**

**Turning the horns towards her, Meeks read the writing, "This one says `North Wind' and the other one says `East Wind'." She stopped for second and began chuckling, "They blow, get it? Just like that funny carving in the lobby!" She said and laughed, but no one joined in. San-Raal and Elyxya stared at one-another, "No way, you don't think...?" Elyxya wondered aloud. San-Raal shrugged, "I don't know but maybe Meeks is on to something..." He uttered. "What?" Meeks asked bluntly, looking up at her friends, "What?" She asked again.**

**San-Raal's expression went thoughtful, "The carving upstairs, Meeks. You mentionned it to me when I first met you and I had no idea what you were talking about, but now that I think about it I remember the carving you're talking about." He explained, suddenly excited at the thrill of solving one of Darkmoon's anloying mysteries. **

**Meeks licked her lips dully, "That's very charming..." She said thinly, thinking San-Raal had just gone crazy. Elyxya finished San-Raal's association in a breath, "The carving was of four clouds blowing in the...wind!" She cried, "So that means that there's still 2 more horns left to discover, because we already have north and east, and those horns probably cause something to happen to that carving! Like...it probably disappears and leads us to another part of the temple!" She concluded and, with a surge of excitement, threw herself at San-Raal and planted a kiss on his nose.**

**Nightshade and Pryzma bore enormous smiles, "That's so amazing! I knew those horns were magical!" Pryzma yelped and clapped her hands. Nightshade began dancing about like a child who needed to go to the bathroom, "Wait...wait...could that be the passageway that that guy there was writing about?" She gushed impatiently, pointing at the piece of paper they'd found that was presently in Izzy's hand. San-Raal shook his head, "Maybe." He said and rubbed his nose, while giving Elyxya a mischievous grin .**

**"I don't know about that, Nightshade." Masoj said calmly from beside Meeks; Masoj was the only one who wasn't overly excited about the carving mystery's unravellement, "The piece of paper said that the large passageway was blocked by a wall as well as a trap." He commented, drawing silence from the little croud. Sindel and Will, who had hung back and had let things happen, finally took part in the conversation. "Masoj is right." Will pointed out (it's not like Sindel will admit that Masoj is right), "You are all right about the carving, that it's a magical barrier, that is. But if it was the passageway the person in the letter was talking, there would be a trap. And the only thing I can think of that could serve as a trap was the two temple clerics...Nadia and Joril. And if you ask me, they were not very much of a holdup." Will voiced, getting blank stares from the excited group members and a reserved nod from Masoj.**

**Silenced engulfed the room once again and then Elyxya jumped up and whooped, "At least we solved the horn mystery!" She cheered and the group headed out of the little room. Outside the little cubicle, the chamber separated into three paths about fifteen feet long; all leading to dead ends. A pressure plate layed before the thre turnoffs. **

**"So what do we do now?" Amber squeaked, voicing the question that played in everyone's mind. Meeks cocked her head to one side and arched her eyebrows, "Find the two missing horns." She said simply. Sindel exhaled loudly, "Where? We've been everywhere." She objected; she was happy to have solved the mystery of the horns but was beginning to think that the party would never be able to play it out. **

**"I still think that the passageway written about on the paper is here." Masoj declared and made his way to the front of the group; he looked in all three directions and then at the bloodstain on the floor and twitched his nose, "This is the trap the person ws talking about." He said looked to be positive about his words. Pryzma stepped forward and crossed her arms over her chest, "How can you tell? I see no wall that looks suspicious enough to hide a passageway." She said and then began rubbing her arms from the chill of the catacombs.**

**Masoj studied the surrounding chamber again and ran his fingers through his hair, "I think I know what this is." He said smoothly, "This, if I'm correct, is a fireball trap." He paused and then said, "That's right, trap." Puting absurdly large emphasis on the word `trap'. There were a few frowns but the group looked generally interested; Masoj blinked and continued, "The pressure plate," He pointed to the plate on the floor, "triggers a fireball that'll come from directly ahead of us. The fireball will blast right through the little corridor we're standing in now, and will most likely stop at the far wall way over there outside of this whole chamber." He explained, showing the flames' trajectory with his arms.**

**Pryzma shivered some more and Nightshade offered her her cloak, "So we want to avoid the fireball. Alright, but why?" Nightshade asked, handing Pryzma her cloak. Masoj brightened, "You see Nightshade, that's the thing. Whenever these types of traps are used, the fireball usually comes from the direction in which is placed something of value. The trap is supposed to scare off the person who wishes to steal or take advantage of that `something'." He said casually and then turned to Meeks who tugged at his sleeve. "So you're saying that the secret passageway is over there?" Meeks asked, pointing straight ahead, where Masoj had said the fireball would be coming from. Masoj nodded, "Yeah." **

**Although Masoj's words sounded truthful, Sindel wasn't satisfied, "Are you trying to lead us into our deaths, boy?" She said threateningly and stalked up to Masoj, "This fireball you say will shoot out at us and you expect us to outrun it? Are you stupid?" She asked, the edge an unmistakeable additive to her voice. Masoj clenched his teeth, "No, Sindel...I am NOT stupid." He began, "I'm just stating the facts about this type of trap." He said. Sindel looked Masoj up and down as if to say `and just who do you think you are?', "You might be wrong, you know. There might not be anything back there of importance to us." She said with one of the most horrible looks on her face.**

**Masoj raised an eyebrow, "You said yourself that we've been everywhere else. What do we have to lose?" He uttered bravely. Sindel's face went red and it was clear to everyone that there was going to be another fight, "What do we have to lose? OUR LIVES, YOU FOOL!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and, unable to restrain her frustration, swung a puch at Masoj. Masoj ducked and pushed Sindel against the wall, pinning her hands back, "I am going to kill you, you know?" He hissed between clenched teeth, "When are you ever going to get off my case?" He demanded, pressing Sindel to the wall furthermore. Sindel smiled suddenly, "I don't know little boy...how about never!" She yelled and brought her knee up to Masoj's groin. The slender wizard cringed in pain and then howled in rage and punched Sindel squarely in the nose. Paralysed by the argument, the rest of the party had only watched until now.**

**"HEY! That's enough! For Christ's sake!" Will yelled and roughly tore Masoj away from Sindel. Sindel's jaw gaped in surprise and she clutched her bloody nose, "Oooh hell...that is it!" She yelped at Masoj and attempted to lunge at him but Will held her back. You know, if it weren't for Will, Sindel and Masoj would have killed each other by now. Will frowned and felt like he was baby-sittilg his two immature teammates, "Both of you just breathe, alright? If we're going to go through with this mission, and if we're all going to get home alive, then we're going to have to learn to stand one-another. Do I make myself clear?" He scolded, feeling Sindel's fighting strength weaken as he held her tightly.**

**There was no response from either of the concerned people, only multiple spiteful stares. It took a few minutes before things settled to an acceptable rate and then Meeks, a little frightened at his reaction, decided to mention something to Masoj; "None of us are fast enough to outrun a fireball," She said softly in the Drow's ear, "maybe that panther of yours that you told me about last night could be of help to us." She suggested cautiously and Masoj caught her gaze with the corner of his eye. The wizard said nothing for a while and then he reached into the folds of his robe and produced the little onyx statuette that he had fiddled with the night before, "Alright." He said evenly.**

**"What is it, Masoj?" San-Raal asked, coming up behind Masoj and examining the little statuette. "It allows me to summon a panther at my leisure." Masoj explained, keeping his eyes on the shiny object as though he were thinking something completely different than what he was saying out loud, "The panther will outrun the fireball for us." He concluded. A few sighs of relief sounded from the party and an undicipherable mumble escaped Sindel's lips. "Everyone get out of the room and stay clear of the path that I told you the fireball would cover. I will join you in a bit." Masoj ordered and no one cared to object. The group left the room; all except Meeks.**

**"What?" Masoj snapped, noticing the warrior had not left with the others. Meeks swallowed and looked up at the seemingly unstable Masoj, "Are you sure you want to do this? Last night, you told me the panther was your friend...what if he doesn't make it?" She asked. Masoj blinked, "It's better to lose one life, then to lose ten." He said and closed his eyes to begin the summoning spell of the panther. Meeks watched him and she was overcome with emotions; she felt sorry for what Sindel put him through since they'd gotten here, she also wondered what went on in his head, she thought him generous for letting the team use his panther, and she admired his intelligence. Sindel really had no right to do what she did and Meeks decided she wouldn't stand for it. No matter what Sindel said or what Elyxya thought, Masoj was a nice person. **

****

**She got up on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to Masoj's, careless of the consequences. She knew she was interrupting him in his incantation but she really didn't care; Masoj jerked with the sudden shock of the moment then kissed her back, hungrily. **

** "Good luck, Masoj Hun'ett." Meeks said when the two had pulled apart. Masoj smirked and nodded; Meeks then turned and ran over to the rest of the group who stood outside the room, against the left wall. "What took you so long?" Elyxya demanded, once Meeks had joined the group. Meeks shook her head and leaned back against the wall, "Nothing. I had to say a few words to Masoj before he went ahead with the plan." She said quickly; Elyxya frowned, detecting a change in her friend, but decided to let the subject pass until later. **

**In quick time, a low growl sounded and then Masoj's voice said, "Gwenwhyvar!". The team waited safely out of the fireball's designed path, and hoped for the best. After Masoj had given his panther a few instructions that sounded muffled from outside the room, the wizard exited and joined his crew. A moment passed, and then there was a cracking sound followed by the blinding light of the searing fireball. Everyone's eyes, especially Masoj's, were on the door of the chamber in anticipation of the magical panther's hasty exit.**

**Unfortunately, there was no such exit.**

**"Gwenwhyvar?!" Masoj cried once the fireball had passed and bolted around the corner and back into the trap chamber. There was a confused and concerned hesitation on the part of the rest of the party and then Meeks darted back into the room and everyone followed her, unsure what to think. **

**"I'm sorry, Masoj..." Meeks began as she entered the chamber and then realized her condolences were useless; Masoj crouched in the center of the room and hugged his cat lovingly. There was a general sigh of relief from the members of the party possessing a heart, and a blank stare from Sindel. "How?" Elxyxa asked, examining the regal feline who purred against Masoj's chest. Masoj rubbed the cat's ear, "Instead of running out the door, he turned and went into the little room in which Pryzma found the potions and thr horn." He said happily, proud of his pet's ability and intelligence.**

**Nightshade and Pryzma stepped through the gathered crowd and stared at Gwenwhyvar, "That is really a gorgeous animal, Masoj." Nightshade praised, wanting to touch the cat but more or less afraid. The panther's pelt was a black as Masoj's skin and the cat kept protectively close to the drow's side, "Thank you. He was...a gift." Masoj said, casting a look over at Meeks who had fallen asleep the night before when he had tried to explain to her about it. "May I touch?" Pryzma asked timidly, and then patted the cat's head when Masoj had given her a nod.**

**Further back, Sindel grumbled her disapproval, "The panther is probably just another way to keep him safe from me." She said in a low tone to Will. In the fight earlier, Masoj's punch had broken Sindel's nose but Will had tended to her immediately, healing her injury quickly and cleanly. The only scar now was the anger and humiliation Sindel felt inside. "Sindel, if Masoj's pet is of any use to us, then it is welcome. Think positive, it'll do you good." Will said dismissively and moved ahead, leaving the bitter priestess alone with her gloomy thoughts.**

**"Can we pet your panther?" Izzy asked, her eyes all ablaze with happiness. She and Amber stepped up beside Nightshade and Pryzma, who were letting the cat smell their hands. Masoj frowned, "How about no." He said sharply, afraid the two ditzes would somehow corrupt his friend. The two stayed immobile for a moment then shrugged and began chatting. **

**San-Raal appeared beside Elyxya and pointed to the direction the fireball came from, "Can we go over there now? I want to see if this big passageway is really here." He said and removed his hood. Everyone looked at Masoj as though he was an oracle and the wizard nodded, "Yes, I suppose." He murmured and the group stalked ahead. "I don't see anything but walls." Meeks declared matter-of-factly, admittedly a little disappointed that nothing major had suddenly materialized out of nowhere. **

**"The paper said the passagewy was blocked by a wall. I say we...uh...do something to the walls." Nightshade decided dumbly, ashamed at her loss of suggestions. Will shook his head, "Like what? We don't have enough room to get off a spell." He objected as Sindel leaned against the wall at his back. Elyxya crumpled her nose in thought, "Gee, um, I s'pose we could-" She stopped short when a yelp and a rather loud rumble from behind Will caused her to whip her head in that direction.**

**Sindel lay on her back, amidst a heap of rubble; behind her, was a staircase heading down. "Oooh my god...that hurt! Oooh my back..." Sindel moaned and attempted to get up. "Th-that wall just crumbled!" Elyxya cried, pointing at the empty space that used to be a stone wall. Meeks cleared her throat, "That is the passageway...right?" She uttered, not wanting to get too excited over something that could be nothilg at all. Will didn't bother to help Sindel to her feet, "Yep. Masoj was right." He declared simply and as he spoke those words, Sindel gave up her struggle to get up and just layed back in defeat.**

**What lies at the bottom of the staircase? **


	8. Chapter 7

CHAPTER VII 

Test of strength

"Aw, this place is even creepier than all the other places we've been in!" Izzy whined as the party walked the darkened halls at the bottom of the newly-found staircase. Once the group had descended the stairs, they had come face-to-face with a closed door bearing the gruesome face of some sort of ogre-like monster. Beside the door had been a moss-covered plaque which read; `To go beyond this door is to surrender to death'. Ignoring the warning, Elyxya and Meeks had charged forward and, to the surprise of the entire party, the door had closed swiftly at their backs; denying exit from the chambers ahead. Now everyone is stuck inside a passageway that, so the sign said, could lead them to their fate...

"Shut up and don't make it worse than it already is." Sindel snapped back at Izzy, frowning and staying close to Will's side. Sindel, and everyone else, wasn't to happy to be forced into trekking-out this particular part of the temple. There was almost no sound, accept for the insistent drip of distant water and the new scraping sound that was irritating to listen to. "How do we get out of here if the door shut on us?" Elyxya asked concernedly, afraid of being trapped and never being able to escape the foul-smelling passageway. 

Beside Elyxya, Meeks sniffled, "I honestly have no idea. For all I know, we're jammed in here for good." She guessed, hoping with all her heart that she was wrong. San-Raal's voice sounded from behind the two leaders, "No. There's got to be another way out." He said optimistically, "There's just got to be." He repeated and clutched his spellbook to his chest protectively. San-Raal looked over at Masoj who traveled at his side and pleaded silently for a response to his hopes; Masoj only lowered his gaze and exhaled loudly. The group turned a corner and came upon a door that bore the same ogre-like face design. 

When the party halted, Nightshade spoke up, "Why aren't there any guards around here? Since we got to the fireball trap, there hasn't been any clerics or soldiers standing in our way." She pointed out, bringing to attention another important issue. Will shook his head, "I suppose this place is not in common use. People probably don't come down here very often." He said and looked around to emphasize his statement. Nightshade frowned, "So, since nobody comes down here, that would lead me to believe that there's nothing of importance down here." She deduced and began to think that the whole situation was quickly deteriorating.

"Not necessarily, Queen Mab." San-Raal opted, coming up beside Nightshade, "May be there is something down here but it doesn't need to be used very often." He smiled and raised a finger, "I mean, how often does one use a raise dead scroll?" He finished and Nightshade inclined her head to give San-Raal's words some thought. 

Meeks picked at the blade of her polearm, "Okay, so are we going on with this or are we going to sit here and rationalize about everything when we might be in for some trouble?" She asked impatiently. There was a moment of silence and then Pryzma shoved Amber forward and smiled, "Amber here has just volunteered to scout out what's beyond that door." She declared, pointing at the door facing the party, "Isn't that right, scout?" She hissed and Amber shook her head. "I didn't say-" Amber began but she was already being pushed to the front.

Once in front of Meeks and Elyxya, Amber put her ear to the door, "There's something in there. It's making a scratching noise." She whispered. Elyxya took hold of the lever that activated the door, "Don't worry about it. We're right behind you." She said off-handedly and pulled down on the wooden rod. The door creaked open and Meeks pushed Amber in. Expecting to see a monster run out of the room, the group drew back; but nothing happened. Beyond the door was a straight hallway; two doors lined the left wall, and the scratching noises Amber spoke of were coming from those doors. The group silenced and watched as Amber approached the first door on the left.

As the little thief neared the door, the noises beyond got louder; she trembled and then walked ahead to the next door, hoping it would sound more inviting. Amber, trying to ignore the loud sounds coming from the other door, opened the second door and peered inside; she saw something shining inside and took a step forward into the room. As she did so, the scratching noises roared and Amber jumped back in surprise. She attempted to enter the rom again and the noises started up again; angry now, Amber whipped around and stalked over to the first door that was being absurdly noisy.

Amber banged on the door and waved a small packet of magical dust in the air, "Shut up you mother bitches! I blow you! I blow you!" She yelled menacingly at the noisy creatures beyond the door. Outside the room, Elyxya and Meeks burst out laughing along with Masoj and San-Raal; Will and Sindel shook their heads and Nightshade and Pryzma imitated Amber with silly voices. Izzy looked on seriously.

Wondering what was going on, Amber turned to see her teammates goofing off, "Can I get some help over here?" She asked loudly and put her hands to her hips. Meeks and Elyxya and the rest strode forward and Sindel spoke first, "I'm going into the other room. Amber, what's in there?" She asked seriously and brushed off her robes. Amber shrugged, "Something shiny, go and see for yourself." She said and then banged on the door before her as the sounds grew loud again. 

"Quit hitting the door, Amber. You're not very bright, are you? You're probably exciting whatever's behind there and when we open the door, that something will be harder to deal with." Masoj scolded the thief sternly, now positive that Amber was a waste of time. Even Izzy would have been smarter!

Sindel exited the other door that Amber had opened and held a key in her hands, "I found a key. It's old and-" She paused to blow the dust off the thing, "-dusty." She said and handed the item to Elyxya. "Thanks, they always come in handy." Elyxya commented as she tucked the key into her backpack. 

"Everybody get ready, we're going beyond that door. Izzy, do me a favor and pull that lever down when I say so." Meeks said and positioned herself before the closed door. Immediately, the team quieted; Izzy moved for the lever, Will and Sindel closed their eyes and got themselves ready for a quick hold spell, San-Raal and Masoj flipped through their spellbooks and summoned magical energy, Nightshade unsheathed her short sword and Pryzma muttered the incantation to a lightning bolt spell. Amber mearly watched, hoping that finally the noise would cease after the extermination of the creature beyond the door.

Meeks waved her hand at Izzy and the thief pulled down on the wooden lever. The door opened and a winged creature resembling a gargoyle came at the two leaders. The creature was a grayish color and had sharp teeth and claws; the claws were the reason for the scratching noise, the pointed things scraped the wall when the creature touched it. Meeks and Elyxya swung sword and polearm as one and the creature was cut down; soon after, more of the gargoyle-things turned a corner beyond and came at them. The gargoyles seemed to get smarter by the second, they would dodge and avoid Elyxya and Meeks' blows and would even fight back; the would reach out with their front paws (that resembled hands) and would slash with their gargantuan claws.

One of the creatures threw its claws forward and gashed Elyxya's arm, cutting deep lines into her thick shirt and tender skin. She howled at the thing and swung at it, missed it, and swung a second time only to miss again. A magical missile sliced by her then and made impact with the gargoyle right between its eyes, "Thank you!" Elyxya gasped at whomever had cast the spell, as the creature screeched and fell to the ground. "You're welcome!" San-Raal's voice called from behind her; Elyxya smiled and then began hacking at the gargoyle that Meeks was fighting. Meeks raised her polearm high and brought it down on the thing's head, slicing its skull in half; it joined its kin's corpses on the stone floor.

Prying her blade from the gargoyle, Meeks breathed a sigh of relief, "These things are so ugly. Lookit `em!" She cried, her voice cracking. Happy to be done with them, the entire party didn't even bother to give the gargoyle-things a second glance. "Meeks, Elyxya, are both of you alright?" Will asked concernedly, stepping up beside the two and examining them from head to toe. "Yes, I'm fi-" Meeks began but Will's voice cut her off, "You're hurt!" Will declared, grasping Elyxya's wounded arm and ignoring Meeks. Elyxya pulled her arm away and shook her head, "No, its okay Will. I'll be fine." She said and displaced the material of her shirt to cover the four bloody gashes. Will quaintly removed Elyxya's hands from her wounds, "No. I will heal you. That's what I'm here for, you know." He said and then concentrated on his divine power. Elyxya waited, as the rest of the team did, and then Will jerked back suddenly and held his hands to his head.

"What's wrong?" Pryzma called from behind Sindel. Will groaned and closed his eyes, "I - I can't heal her wounds." He stuttered, a dumbfounded expression edging into his features. Meeks' eyes went round, "What? What do you mean you can't heal her wounds?" She cried, pushing back her ponytail. Will shook his head, "I just...can't. When I tried to receive power...there was a sudden jolt of energy that just messed me up and kept me from...getting the strength I needed to heal." He explained as best he could.

Sindel shook her head skeptically and pushed past her teammates to the front, "Now wait second Will, that's impossible. Your god probably just decided you weren't worthy and cut you off." She said and grasped Elyxya's arm roughly. Will frowned at Sindel, "See for yourself!" He almost shouted and stepped back, nodding towards Elyxya's wounded arm. Sindel tried and jerked back as Will had, "Oh shit. That's crazy...what's doing that?" She murmured and avoided Will's stare. Sindel knew that Dran was behind it all and she wondered if she should tell her team about her communication with the high-priest; maybe it would be better if they knew. She debated and decided against it for the second time that day.

"What on earth are we going to do without clerics to heal us?" Pryzma whimpered, grabbing onto Nightshade's robes and looking around like a frightened child. Izzy cleared her throat, "Um, before we left for this mission, Khelben gave us all healing salves. We could use those?" She proposed. Pryzma grumbled, "We only have one each, you dolt!" She said and slapped Izzy's shoulder. Masoj fingered the emerald clasp holding up his cloak, "Pryzma, we'll use the salves if we have to. Who knows what else lies down here." He said softly, almost desperately.

There was an uneasy silence amongst the group and Elyxya pressed her hand to her cuts to stop the bleeding; Elyxya's eyes reflected a feeling of desperation so intense that it caused everyone to wonder what the party would look like once they'd found their way out of that place...if they ever did. After a moment, Meeks patted Elyxya's shoulder and looked into the doorway ahead, "Well, there's no use feeling sorry for ourselves. Let's get going so we can find a way out of here as fast as possible." She declared and stepped over the gargoyle corpses. Elyxya tightened her grip on her sword and followed, along with the rest of he party.

The group followed the corridors beyond the door and found nothing but bones belonging to god only knows what and empty chambers; they ran into no more gargoyles and San-Raal wondered if the ones they had encountered before were the only ones in the whole area. After walking for about ten or fifteen minutes, they had realized that they were going in circles. Fortunately, a wall had attracted Nightshade's attention and the group hoped she had found another passageway. All gathered around the tall thief, the group watched Nightshade's wall-fondling.

"It's an illusion alright, but it's magically blocked." She said, stepping back from the wall and brushing off her hands on Izzy's shirt. Before Meeks could ask `What's that mean?', Pryzma strode forward and cast dispel magic onto the portion of wall Nightshade had touched. Pryzma then reached her arm through the wall and nodded, "Yep. Illusion. Anyone wanna go first?" She asked. Izzy and Amber stepped back and, for once, they weren't forced to enter. 

To everyone's pleasant surprise, Will and Sindel went in first. Both clerics felt weak now that their divine power was useless and had decided to indulge in fighting to keep themselves contented. When no yells or screams sounded, the rest of the party went in and found both clerics staring at a pressure plate in front of yet door. The room was small; there was a small hall about twenty feet long and seven feet wide over to the left and the door and pressure plate loomed to the right. 

"So," Elyxya piped, coming up beside the clerics, "What's up?" She asked. Will pressed on the pressure plate with his heel, "The plate is stuck, so I don't think we need to put anything here while we go check out what's in there." He said, pointing to the open door in front of him. Nightshade came up to examine the plate, "I don't know, maybe we should put something there anyway just in case. Wouldn't want to get stuck again." She said, her statement appealing to the others. Nightshade opened up her backpack, pulled out a food packet and placed it on the plate, "There. Now let's-" She stopped short when Pryzma slapped her hand over Nightshade's mouth.

"Listen," She whispered hoarsely to the team, "There's that scratching noise again." She said. San-Raal shook his head and removed his hood, "I knew there were more gargoyles around here." He mumbled and opened his spellbook. Sindel peered into the room beyond the door before her, it was lit with one torch and there wasn't a soul inside, "The creatures are probably outside, because they're not in here." She declared. The room was large enough and in the middle of it lay a heap of things; Sindel could make out a shield and the edge of a sword or axe, but the whole thing was covered with a dark blue cloak. "Whatever." San-Raal and Pryzma said simultaneously. 

"Is there anything else in there, babe?" Nightshade asked curiously at Sindel. Sindel nodded, "Yeah. There's a whole bunch of junk covered by a cloak." She said. That got the team's attention and they walked into the room to have a look. They all surrounded the pile of items and began rummaging through it; all except Masoj who stood back and stared apprehensively at the wall at the far end of the room. "P-people, the w-wall over here is m-magical." He stuttered almost inaudibly and gulped, beginning to understand where the gargoyles Pryzma was talking about were lurking. Elyxya looked up from the pile of items, "What was that Masoj?" She asked and Masoj's eyes widened and he pointed, "Look!" The dark elf screamed as the wall disappeared to reveal over a dozen gargoyles.

Alerted, the team jumped back and most members screamed. Nightshade's head whipped around to see the door shut and lock them inside, "No!" She screeched. When it became clear to everyone that they would have to fight or die, it was every man for himself. The number of gargoyles caused there to be enough so that everyone would have to fight at least one, and for the unlucky few, two. 

Backing herself into a corner, Izzy began crying as one of the gruesome creatures flew up to face her; she drew her sword and thanked her luck for only having to fight one. The little thief slashed desperately at the gargoyle and, with all the dodging she had to execute in order to keep from getting clawed, managed to get in two hits that barely wounded the ugly creature.

Frightened at the sudden vanishing of the wall and charging of the winged beasts, Elyxya had batted away the first gargoyle to come at her with the shield she had been holding. She yelped in surprise as another monster came up behind her and almost clawed the back of her head; she sliced upwards at the creature and cut off one of its back legs. The gargoyle shrieked in pain and slashed at Elyxya furiously with its nails, it's mad eyes blazing with hatred.

When a gargoyle came at San-Raal, he dove to the ground and groped frantically for the dagger in his boot. Seeing the lithe wizard's vulnerable position, the creature swooped down and tried to bite San-Raal. "Damnit!" San-Raal cried and wished he wasn't on his back as he squirmed and twisted away from the gargoyle's snapping maw; he grasped the hilt of his dagger, pulled the blade free and jabbed it into the beast's eye, causing the creature to fly upwards and giving San-Raal the chance to get to his feet.

Sindel and Will stood back-to-back and faced two different gargoyles; it was quite a sight to see. Unable to use their clerical abilities, the two put all trust into their sword arms. Will sliced in an `x' pattern and began to get frustrated when the gargoyle before him dodged his blows, "Stand still you bastard!" He yelled at the creature and succeeded in angering the thing more. Sindel yelped when Will backed up, because that would cause her to move forward and closer to the gargoyle; she knew it would be easier to fight if she wasn't back-to-back with Will, but the shock of the moment wouldn't allow her to move away. Sindel swung and the gargoyle slashed with its foreclaws; Sindel meant to move but fumbled and dropped her sword. She shrieked as the gargoyle lunged in at her a second time...

Part of the unlucky few who had to fight two gargoyles, Meeks panicked; she was caught between the two creatures and both were clawing and snapping. "Go away! Go away!" She screamed at one of the winged beasts and pushed it back with the pole of her halberd. She turned and hacked at the monster behind her, cursing the loudness of the dozen gargoyles' high-pitched screams. Meeks swung wide and sliced through the belly of the creature before her, glad to see one of them die. Her victory was short-lived though, because the other gargoyle had not forgotten her.

Masoj's first reaction to the creatures was to run; which he did, but not very far. He backed himself against a wall at the back of the room (where the gargoyles had been hiding) and unsheathed his sword. Finding himself too weak and frightened to fight properly with the blade, he dropped the sword, mumbled a few words and disappeared. Masoj trembled as he watched the creature stop in confusion; the young dark elf forced himself to recite an incantation and released a fireball that charred the gargoyle. The spell disrupted and dispelled Masoj's invisibility doewmer and he breathed a sigh of relief; and then screamed in agony as another gargoyle clawed at him from the side and cut deep lines into his cheek. 

Pryzma launched a lightning bolt at the creature that had first approached her. The cunning thing had swerved out of the bolt's path and had come closer to the sorceress, coming in with its back claws forward. Pryzma watched the gargoyle as it approached and noticed its speed; she waited to about the very last second and held out her sword in front of her, blade forwards. The gargoyle shrieked as it realized what was going to happen to it and then flew directly into Pryzma's blade, "Yes!" Pryzma cheered as the thing fell to the ground. There was a whimper beside her and she turned to see Nightshade get knocked to the ground.

Nightshade gasped as she hit the stone floor head-first, and then her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness. Pryzma screamed and lunged for her friend's body, but a gargoyle, one of the last, swooped in and beat her to it. Just as the gargoyle was landing to perch itself atop Nightshade's motionless body, and axe from behind it cut into its head. Pryzma, her bottom lip shaking in nervousness, looked up to see Amber holding the hilt of the axe and smiling proudly. Amber stood over Nightshade's body, her legs on either side of it, in guise of protection. Pryzma couldn't believe her eyes.

Izzy's battle with the gargoyle lasted for quite a while, mainly because she dodged more blows than she dealt, but she succeeded in finishing the creature off with a lucky swing. Once the job was done, though, she crumbled to the floor and went into a crying fit.

After beating one gargoyle to death with a shield and cutting the other one into strips, Elyxya managed to get away with a few scratches on her legs and a few more on her shoulder. She wondered how much blood she had lost that day, and then spotted San-Raal a few yards away with a gargoyle over top of him.

Unfortunately for the little drow, stabbing the gargoyle in the eye had not given him that much of a chance to get to his feet. When he had tried, the gargoyle had just literally sat on his chest and had continued to try to bite him. San-Raal had struggled but the gargoyle was heavier than it looked. "San-Raal! Hold on!" Elyxya cried and ran for her friend. The gargoyle heard her footsteps and, frightened as Elyxya came up behind it, dug its claws into San-Raal's chest and shoulders. The wizard screamed and Elyxya dispatched the gargoyle with a wide swing.

Elyxya frowned, knelt down and put her hands on San-Raal's wounds to stop the bleeding, "Oh, San-Raal!" She whimpered and stroked his hair soothingly, finding nothing else to do.

Unfortunate Meeks moved around too much. The gargoyle behind her was quick and forced her to duck and dodge lots; she backed into a wall, tried to make a quick motion and dislocated her shoulder. Hysterical about having a two-handed weapon and only one good arm, she dealt the killing blow and the gargoyle collapsed to the floor.

Sindel, who had dropped her sword, panicked as the gargoyle before her lunged in at her and she ducked. The gargoyle flew by her and knocked Will in the back of the head; Will fell forward, and head-butted the gargoyle he was facing. Will stepped back and Sindel had the chance to regain her sword; now facing the two gargoyles side-by-side, the two clerics were capable of winning the fight, which they did.

With a thousand fires of agony burning in his gashed cheek, Masoj had somehow found the power to summon a death spell, which he recited with maddening anger. He simply touched the creature and the thing died, falling to the floor a lifeless heap. The slender wizard leaned back against the wall, slid down it's length and sat down, breathing heavily. 

***

"Amber, I can't believe you saved Nightshade." Pryzma said softly, cradling her unconscious friend's head, "That was a very civilized thing to do." She finished and looked over at Amber who sat baside her along with Izzy. Amber smiled and shrugged, "She's a bitch but I wouldn't want to see you sad, or the team without someone who can find passageways. Let's say I did it for the good of the group." She said nicely, and Pryzma didn't know wether to hit her or hug her in response. 

Still in the same room in which they had fought the gargoyles, the party was scattered about and were passing their stages of after-battle shock. Indeed the battle had been a shock; they had come into the room completely unfearful and had been caught offguard by the winged creatures. Now, even the poeple who hadn't gotten the chance to fight before hand, had gotten their share of action. After being stuck in a relatively small room along with more than a dozen flying creatures, the group felt they were ready for almost anything now that they'd went through such an awkward escapade.

Sindel knelt by Meeks' side, "I'm not going to lie to you, this will hurt. But it's for the best." She warned genuinely, taking Meeks' arm and gripping it firmly. Meeks' dislocated shoulder had to be tended to immediately; it wasn't a serious wound, and could be fixed in a matter of seconds. "Okay, fine. Just hurry up." Meeks squeaked apprehensively and closed her eyes tightly. She heard Sindel take a breath and then she screamed sharply as the priestess snapped her shoulder back into position. Sindel raised Meeks' chin when the job ws done, "Hey. Are you going to be alright?" She asked. Meeks looked up at her and a tear coursed down her cheek, "Yes." She gasped and brought her hand up to rub her shoulder. Sindel nodded and smiled.

Beside the door were Will, Elyxya and San-Raal. "That's...going to hurt for a while." Will declared after San-Raal had opened the front of his robes to let the priest examine his injuries, "Oh my, this one's particularly deep..." Will stammered and ran his finger over a deep cut near the wizard's right shoulder. "Uh-huh, and it particularly hurts." San-Raal snapped and pushed Will's hand away; the dark elf was suddenly very happy that he hadn't become a warrior...

"Do you need a bandage?" Elyxya asked Will concernedly, feeling horrible for San-Raal's plight. Will frowned, "I would, but-" He began but stopped and watched as Elyxya removed her cloak and offered it to him, "Take it and use it." Elyxya said quickly. Will took the cloak from the girl's hands, "Alright...thank you." He said slowly and tore a strip off the material. He bent forwards and began to wrap the cloth about San-Raal's chest, "Well, you can thank Elyxya for the blood you'll save." Will said to the wizard matter-of-factly. San-Raal looked over at Elyxya and smiled warmly, "I will." He said and patted the warrior's thigh, "I swear I will." He said and Elyxya's heart skipped.

Still against the wall he had sunk down, Masoj took deep breaths and watched his other teammates be looked after. He brought his hand up to his lean cheek and flinched when his fingers crossed one of the claw marks, it stung like acid; he considered himself lucky for not having been wounded more seriously, but cursed at the fact that he had been wounded in such a bluntly visible area. Someone interrupted his thoughts by sitting down beside him, he looked over and barely smiled at Meeks, "You alright?" He asked flatly, then scolded himself for being so egocentrical when Meeks' face showed that she understood what was going on in his mind. Meeks looked at him for a moment, unable to blame him for being down, "I'm fine. You?" She asked dumbly.

Masoj gave her an offended expression and then pointed to his cheek, "Other than this, I'm fit as a fiddle." He said in a sarcastic tone and stared straight foreward, annoyedly. Meeks frowned at his conduct, "Look, I'm sorry alright...we all got hurt, I mean-" She began, but Masoj cut her off, "No, it's okay. I'm just being...really..." He said, exasperated and completely at a loss for words. Meeks, unable to help the wizard with vocabulary, wrapped her arms around his lithe frame and leaned her head on his shoulder. Masoj exhaled and gave up, leaning his good cheek on the top of Meeks' head, "I just hope this doesn't happen again." He mumbled. 


	9. Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII 

Hope and luck go hand-in-hand

"One more horn to go and we can see what's behind that carving in the lobby." Pryzma exclaimed as she turned the newly-found South Wind horn in her hands. The party had exited the cursed room they had been in earlier and now stood prisoners amongst the darkened hallways of Darkmoon's lowest chambers. When Will and Sindel had finished looking after all the injured people as best they could, the team had rummaged about the pile of goods in the center of the room. Within it, they found South Wind, a thick navy blue cloak (that Will had insisted Elyxya have, since she had so generously offered her cloak for bandages), a shield (which no one cared to take because of its cumbersome size), a pair of magical wrist bracers that enhanced the wearer's armor class (which Masoj dove for), and a long sword.

Meeks leaned over Sindel's shoulder as the priestess tried her hand at the new long sword, "Who's Hath Kull?" She asked, reading the gleaming scripture on the sword's hilt. Sindel frowned, "What are you talking about?" She responded sharply, wishing Meeks would go away. Meeks sighed and pointed at the inscription, "That Hath Kull." She said and Sindel brought the hilt closer for a better look. The moody high priestess shrugged, as much to show her indifference as to rid herself of the nosy warrior, "Who cares, he's obviously dead...so his things are ours for the taking." She said.

Taken aback by Sindel's lack of respect, San-Raal tapped her on the shoulder, "Doesn't your religion teach you to respect the dead?" He asked her when she'd turned to face him. Sindel's scowl was telltale to her feelings, "Look drow, desperate times call for desperate measures. Do I make myself clear?" She hissed, narrowing her eyes. San-Raal shook his head and wondered what had possessed this woman to become a cleric, "Do you desecrate graves too?" He shot back, not wanting a fight but not quite able to give Sindel reason. Sindel forced a sarcastic laugh in response and gave the little wizard one of her patented `fuck you' looks and turned to face the others.

The hallways were so dark and so old; to the touch, the walls were humid. Sounds were scarce, once in a while a scratching or dripping noise could be heard. The whole area caused everyone to be on the edge and paranoid, as well as weaker in some cases. From the moment the entrance to the passageway had been sealed off until the present time, it added up to about one hour and a bit. Amazing as it was, within one hour, the entire party had undergone a noticeable change; and no one realized. The fact that the exit was denied triggered the first stage of the party's desperation and god only knows what triggered the second stage. Although some members were optimistic, such as San-Raal and Will, others were left with a feeling of abandonment. No one knew just how big the passageway was, and no one knew if they really wanted to know.

Amber, paranoid to a maximum and beginning to wish she hadn't been resurrected, came up behind Masoj and tugged on his sleeve, "Masoj, I don't wanna stay in one spot, tell them we have to keep walking." She asked timidly, not wanting to do it herself for fear of Pryzma, Nightshade, or Sindel's reaction. Looking down at Amber, Masoj almost felt sorry for her, "Sure." He said simply and when she smiled, any pity he could have felt before dissipated into indifference. Masoj walked up ahead and stood between Meeks and Elyxya, "We have to keep going, it's better for us." He said and Elyxya frowned, "Just walk and you'll see." Masoj reassured her. Elyxya watched Masoj take his place at San-Raal's side and swallowed, "I want to get this over with. San-Raal was right, there will be another way out of here...and we're going to find it even if we die in the process." She declared boldly and began striding through the halls once again.

The group walked for about another hour with nothing to show for it but a key and another dead gargoyle. A deserted room with a closeable door suited the party for a quick, uncomfortable lunch and rest. For once, Meeks did not eat profusely and mearly nibbled on a bruised green apple, "So we found another key, that makes two. Isn't that right Sindel?" She asked suddenly, startling the uneasy silence that had settled into the room. Sindel sat with her knees to her chest and her face turned down, "Yes. So?" She grumbled. Meeks wondered if not eating would give her a headache, "Well, take the other one out of you backpack and compare the two. Please?" She said after a few moments. Sindel reached over to her side and looked through her bag, she extracted the key she'd found earlier in the room Amber had scouted.

The whole group gathered about as Sindel held both up with an annoyed expression on her face, "They're both silver. Yippee." She said flatly. Pryzma clutched a cup of water and drank from it from time to time, "Those keys may be our only hope; if there are keys down here, then maybe one of them belongs to a way out." She opted and beside her, Nightshade nodded her agreement. Izzy pouted from behind Amber, "Or maybe they're just for more doors that reveal more gargoyles." She commented with a sudden shiver.

"Don't know." Elyxya said, staying close to San-Raal's side, "I don't want to have to sleep here. It's so creepy." She confessed and looked over at San-Raal. The dark wizard nodded, "Well jeez, neither do I. I'll probably get nightmares with all the gargoyle things I've seen." He said defensively and felt a sting in his shoulder from the deepest wound he'd gotten in the last battle. Elyxya looked at San-Raal for a moment and considered laughing at him, but then decided against it and grinned instead. 

Will coughed and stroked his sword, "If you two don't want to sleep here, than we'll have to keep moving; for as long as we can. We really don't know what could come up." He said and looked every member in the eye, "This place is covered with illusionary walls, there's no excuse for thinking we're trapped. We will keep moving tonight and fatigue will strike, so we'll eventually have to break down and rest somewhere. Unless of course, we find a way out of here before that." He said and the room went strangely quiet. Hopeful expressions painted the faces of almost everyone and Will felt a strong attachment to all the people who stared back at him. Out of impulse, he looked over at Sindel and the priestess bore an equally hopeful expression than everyone else. Will knew that Sindel felt the same way he did about the group, even though she acted otherwise; Will knew that Sindel was just as motherly about the party than he was fatherly about it. The thought made him feel better, but he figured that Sindel still had a lot of work to do in regards to her actions, words, and feelings.

When Will noticed that no one in the group was eating except Meeks, he spoke up, "If no one's in the mood to eat, than I suggest we get our asses in gear and get out of here." He declared and everyone snapped out of their trance, "What do you say?" He asked and got to his feet. Sindel sniffled and Will helped her up, "I'm with you." She said and brushed off her robes. Meeks and Elyxya jumped up simultaneously, "We're there!" They said and Meeks gulped down the last of her apple. Nightshade pulled Pryzma up and San-Raal pulled Masoj up; the four joined the crew. Izzy and Amber remained on the floor, "I kind of like the safety of this room." Izzy murmured and then caught the eight nasty glares that the rest of the party were giving her and she and Amber got up and joined too.

***

A few hours passed and the group found nothing of interest; not even any gargoyles to stand in their way. Nightshade got hungry and had to eat on the run, and Meeks had gotten a headache. The walls and halls all resembled one another and Pryzma developed a queer feeling of dizziness, Izzy and Amber constantly jumped at every sound they heard and drove the party nuts. Masoj and San-Raal remained pretty quiet and spoke in low tones from time to time, sometimes having to share a joke with the rest of the party. Will and Sindel tuned into their communal pride and actually talked calmly about how well the group was holding together, Sindel excluding all of her wars with Masoj and San-Raal, of course. Indeed the party had held together nicely, which would be a great shock to Khelben if he could witness it.

"Whatever Didi wants, she's gonna get it, just tell me what you need, I'll try not to forget it..." Elyxya sang happily as the group gathered around a locked door. Spirits lifted at the sight of a lock, and spirits lifted even more when one of Sindel's keys fit the mechanism. The door creaked open and Elyxya braced herself for a heard of gargoyles to come rushing out...but nothing happened. 

Meeks swung into the room and then walked in and looked around, "Um, Nightshade...you're a pressure plate expert, right?" She asked meekly. Nightshade made her way to the front of the group and joined Meeks inside the room, "Yes, I suppose...oh my..." She gasped as she caught sight of the room around her. The room was about twice the size of the lobby upstairs and the floor was covered with pressure plates; at the back of the room was a door, a shut door, that bore the same ogre-like face on it that all the other doors in the passageway sported. "So, what do we do with these ones?" Meeks asked shortly, holding out her hand to the plates beyond.

There were a few gasps as the rest of the party stepped into the room, "Well, I do know that the plates have to do with the door over there." Nightshade said, pointing to the door at the other end of the room, "The plates probably cause it to open." She said and dropped her arms to her sides, unable to say any more about their situation. Pryzma smiled and shook her head, "So...we have to find a combination or something?" She asked her friend; Nightshade nodded and the entire group silenced then sighed. 

Elyxya cleared her throat, "Well, let's get to work." She piped and began to pull Meeks towards one side of the room. Sindel caught her arm, "Wait, Elyxya. What do we put on the plates to weigh them down? We can't use ourselves, because when we'll get off the plates, the door'll close back up; just like that one door upstairs." She said confusedly. Elyxya stopped in her tracks and then said, "I don't know. We could check our backpacks and see... there's bound to be something in there we can leave behind." She said and swung her bag off her shoulders and began rummaging through it. The rest of the party did like Elyxya and even though the group knew they'd have a hard time trying to figure out the pattern that was needed to open the door, they were genuinely happy to have their mind on something other than how trapped they were.

"Well, I've got a sword." Sindel said, holding up the old sword she'd replaced with Hath Kull's sword. Pryzma quit her rummaging and looked over at Sindel, "You sure you want to leave it behind?" She asked, not sure if Sindel was thinking straight. Sindel shrugged off-handedly, "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I've got this new one." She said, holding up the sword she'd found in the cursed gargoyle room. Pryzma nodded, it made sense. 

With everyone's searching through, the pressure plate fund acquired about five packages of food, Sindel's sword, a magic dust bag, and a dagger. On the floor were nine pressure plates, and no one knew how many plates would have to be weighed down; so they had to gather as many items as they could. "Alright, now we're going to have to work together at this. We're also going to have to remember the patterns we've tried or else we'll be here forever." Nightshade declared, adding "Heaven forbid." Under her breath. 

"I can mark down what we've done." Masoj volunteered, opening his spell book to a clear page and pulling a quill and ink from his backpack. Nightshade nodded her approval and looked over at Amber who jumped up and down at her side, "What?" Nightshade asked. Amber pointed to the closed door, "Someone should stand guard at the door in case we find the combination and the door opens and something awful comes out and attacks us." Amber gushed quickly. Nightshade smiled, "Alright...you and Izzy; go." She decided and the two thieves ran for the door chattering excitedly. 

Elyxya suggested the first pattern, "Why don't we cover all the plates first." She said and Sindel responded, "We don't have enough items.". Elyxya shook her head, "We just have to use ourselves." She explained. Sindel agreed silently and took her sword with her to deposit it on one of the pressure plates. When all the plates were weighed down, the group waited and nothing happened; this was only the beginning. The next pattern mentioned was a diagonal line from the right corner of the room to the upper left corner; that failed too, and so did a diagonal line the opposite way, a single line from any side, and a frame around the middle pressure plate. 

San-Raal pushed hair out of his face, "Alright, that's it." He said annoyedly, feeling the day's strains in his shoulders and legs, "Let's just try a bunch of odd plates. No patterns, just...odd plates." He said. And so the group tried weighing down pressure plates here and there; they went from weighing down only one of them to weighing down seven or eight of them. Unfortunately, after about two hours of trying and then fighting about what they had already done (even though Masoj had taken the patterns down), the door at the end of the room remained closed. 

"So maybe I was wrong." Nightshade whimpered, sitting down between two plates, "Maybe the plates have nothing to do with the door." She said dazedly, confused out of her mind. Pryzma sat down beside her friend and patted her back, "Don't worry, everyone makes mistakes...just look at Izzy." She said meanly. Nightshade began to chuckle and then looked over at Izzy who stood by the door; the little ditz heard nothing. 

Frustrated and tired, Elyxya smashed her sword down on the floor, "Dammit!" She yelled, attracting everyone's attention, "I just want to get out of here!" She said exasperatedly. She crumbled to the floor and almost felt like crying, but then realized she'd look like a pussy and put the impulse away. Feeling immense hatred for the dark and gloomy passageway, she cast a spiteful glance at the room around her. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind and she spun around to face Masoj, "Masoj, have we tried an `x' pattern?" She said intensely. Masoj looked down at his book and back up at Elyxya, "Nope." He declared and Elyxya darted for the objects on the pressure plates. She placed them all in an `x' pattern and then, to everyone's glee, the door rumbled open and revealed a small hallway beyond.

With a scream of delight, Elyxya dropped to her knees and put her hands together, "Thank you!" She called up at the ceiling. Meeks, standing beside Masoj, leaned over his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Elyxya was never religious before..." Masoj smiled and closed his spell book. The party chattered excitedly and then Amber's voice killed the moment abruptly, "I hear gargoyles!" She called back to her group. Everyone's head turned to face the blonde thief and their eyes widened in apprehension.

With Meeks and Elyxya leading the way with polearm and sword, the group charged for the door, a new hope reigning in their hearts. Beyond the door, the hallway made a sharp turn to the right and continued on from there. On charging inside, gargoyles came at the group from the corridor ahead.

Meeks and Elyxya hacked and slashed with all intention of killing whatever got in their way. Fighting back their fatigue, all the mages, including Nightshade, casted spells with all the power they could muster. Was it just the newly-solved enigma or was the party feeling the end of their troubles within the passageway? Was the elucid `back exit' near? The gargoyles did not stand a chance, they were overpowered and defeated. 

"Could this room just be a `cage' for gargoyles?" Meeks asked, realizing the room did not turn into any other hallways. "It can't be." San-Raal said, always optimistic. Nightshade darted forward and ran her fingers along the walls; in no time, she put her arm right through the wall at the far end of the corridor, "Second-rate illusion. Come on!" She cried and stepped through the wall. The rest of the party came in after her and drew back, there were gargoyles in that room too and Nightshade was fighting one.

"Hang on!" Elyxya called and came up to help Nightshade with the creature. Other gargoyles came at the party from around the corner behind them. All too gladly, Masoj and San-Raal cast death spells at the winged beasts in guise of revenge for their injuries. When the gargoyles at the front were taken care of, the party found itself inside another room exactly like the first one they'd entered. Once again Nightshade fondled the wall and found a second illusionary wall. The room she lead them into this time was gargoyle-free. On the ground was one thing.

"West Wind!" Meeks yelled, running up to the gleaming horn and diving in to grab it. She threw herself on the ground and grasped the silver instrument, "We did it! Now we can see what's beyond that carving upstairs!" She exclaimed. Elyxya took the horn from Meeks and dropped it into her backpack along with the three others, "Yeah, if we can get out of here." She said. Meeks rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah, right." She breathed.

Sindel yawned and sat down, "I'm tired, therefore we're staying here for the night." She said promptly. No one cared to argue and the group began to drift off to certain spots and lay down their blankets. "Is anyone hungry?" Will asked, getting absolutely no response whatsoever, "Fine." He muttered. The only thing the members of the party were interested in doing was sleeping; everyone was beat. Nightshade and Pryzma, once they'd unrolled their blankets, laid down and immediately fell asleep. Izzy and Amber sat down and talked quietly until god only knows how late. 

Meeks and Masoj shared their covers; the two were quite a spectacle once they'd fallen asleep, pulling at each-other's blankets and shoving and mumbling. Elyxya had planned to sleep alone, but San-Raal wouldn't let her, "Need company?" San-Raal asked Elyxya and sat down beside her before she could answer. Laying atop her blankets, Elyxya looked up at San-Raal and contemplated his features, "Sure." She squeaked. From a little further down, Meeks and Masoj yelped something and San-Raal made a dismissive gesture with his hand, "They're odd." He said softly down to Elyxya. Elyxya smiled and reached over to touch his leg, "How are your injuries?" She asked, feeling her face go red.

"Oh. Fine..." He started and then shook his head, "...no, they hurt like a bitch." He said and smiled at his confession. Elyxya pursed her lips, "I'm sorry. I have wounds too. If it makes you feel any better." She said lightly and pointed to her arms and legs. San-Raal's eyes widened, "Elyxya, seeing you in pain does not make me feel any better." He stated methodically and frowned. Elyxya yawned and closed her eyes, "Look, if you want to keep me company just shut up." She ordered the lithe wizard. San-Raal sighed and laid down beside the red-headed warrior; she offered him some of her covers and when he accepted, she drew closer to him and curled up against him.

"Elyxya?" San-Raal asked timidly. Elyxya raised her head and looked up at him, "What?" She asked. San-Raal sat up and pulled her up with him, "There." He said simply and before Elyxya could respond, he grasped her waist, pulled her to him and kissed her. Elyxya kissed him back and tucked some of his hair behind his ear, "No. Not here." Elyxya gasped once San-Raal had pulled away. The young wizard cocked his head to one side sympathetically and Elyxya stroked his face, "Later, there are others here." She said softly and laid back down on the floor. San-Raal sighed and blew a strand of hair from his eyes; later is better than never. He resumed his earlier position at Elyxya's side and contented himself with holding her.

***

With Will snoring soundly at her side, Sindel tossed and turned unceasingly; she couldn't get herself to settle down and fall asleep. She decided it was because she was so tired and put the whole matter to an end; she sat up and looked around her. She noticed that Meeks and Masoj slept at each-other's side and grimaced; what could Meeks possibly see in that wretched Masoj? Sindel asked herself in disgust. Prying her eyes off of Meeks and Masoj caused her to settle her gaze on Elyxya and San-Raal; the two were also together and she decided that she must be missing something about the Drow race that might be quite obvious and welcoming to the two warriors. Or maybe the two wizards only sought protection? She shook her head and closed her eyes as a pounding headache came onto her.

In moments, a familiar face appeared in Sindel's mind, "I see you're hiding inside your head again, Sindel." Dran's telepathic image said coldly. Sindel locked her jaw and cursed the high priest for his untimely appearance, "Leave me, Dran." She responded hoping futilely that he would decide to heed her desires and go. Dran paused and stared at Sindel for moment and then licked his lips, "I see you've not given up on ridding the Waterdeep of my temple. Have you not considered my last words? Do you not believe me, Sindel?" He asked, as calm as ever. Sindel felt cold sweat run down the back of her neck; she wondered how Dran could persecute someone so and remain unerringly calm as he did, "Dran!" She cried suddenly in her mind, "Believe me, I've thought about our last `conversation' and I've been through utter hell. I'm confused out of my mind about this whole expedition and you're not being of any help. Perhaps what you say about Khelben is right...then all our efforts here were pointless! And if what you say is a lie...then I'm only a puppet in your tyranny!" Sindel exclaimed, feeling as though she was telling Dran everything that was on her mind in hopes that he'd say something that she could believe in and rely on.

There was a short moment of silence and then Dran smiled thinly, "The last thing I want to do is confuse you, my lady. Finding out that the man who hired you was actually the villain must have been hard, I understand that. But as they say, the truth hurts." He closed his eyes and sighed, "Sindel, you must realize that what you're doing is wrong. Worse still, you're angering me! Do you remember the pain you felt when Khelben tore down your temple? Well it's even worse for me because my temple is being torn down by a friend!" He shouted, his brown hair falling out of place and into his eyes. 

Sindel's brow furrowed, "Friend? Did you just call me...friend?" She stopped for second and her mind spun, Dran gave her an affirmative look, "I believe I did, yes." Dran said shortly. A tear of desperation streaked down Sindel's cheek; she didn't know what to do and she felt as though the world were atop her shoulders, "I don't know what to do!!!" She screamed mentally, curling up into a ball and rocking herself back and forth. Dran looked sympathetic for a split-second and then he smirked slyly, "I know what you can do." He said softly. Sindel sniffled and hoped no one could hear her sobs, "W-what?" She stuttered, taking advice from someone for the first time in her life. 

A dark shadow passed behind Dran and his emerald eyes flashed, "You can join me." He hissed. Sindel drew in a breath and shook her head, "No...I can't. That would be wrong and devious and-" She stopped short as Dran spoke his next words, "We could rule Darkmoon together." He added, very well aware that he'd gotten the attention of Sindel's ambitious side. Sindel's jaw dropped; the offer was beyond tempting to her desires, she'd at last get to rule another temple...and she could exact revenge on Khelben for all he's done to her...and she could find out what it was about Dran that confused her so. But, she'd leave her team behind; they had (well most of them) become her friends...and she didn't think Will could handle the task of looking after the party by himself...and she would feel as though she'd left a job half-done. 

Dran raised an eye brow, "Just explain to your group that destroying my temple useless and then join me. An ally of your stature would be most welcome. And if your entire party wishes to stay here, I would be honored to accommodate them...they are more than worthy." Dran said with a hint of haughtiness. Sindel wiggled her toes in her boots nervously, "It's very tempting, Dran." She uttered, ignorant of her mistake in speaking those words, "But I don't think I can carry out your offer. As much as I want a new temple -as well as a friend- I don't think it would be proper. I'm sorry." She said hesitantly, hoping that she was making the right decision.

A hint of disappointment crossed Dran's sharp features and then he shook his head, "If that is your decision, than so be it. If you continue to ravage Darkmoon, then your ignorance will deliver your fate." He said and his image began to fade, "Know that my offer remains...it could very well be the difference between life and death..." His voice trailed off and the telepathic link broke instantly. Sindel leaned back against the wall and then sunk down onto her covers. Had Dran just threatened her? Or was he just trying to protect her? 

***

The next morning when dawn broke, the party awoke and headed back into the rooms they had crossed earlier, in hopes of finding an escape route. The group's feeling of being near the end of their torment was intense the day before and no one wanted to let the feeling die that morning. Breakfast had been simple, because very few members actually had an appetite; all the party wanted to do was get the hell out of that gloomy passageway.

"Well we've got all four horns; South, West, East and North. At least we know what to do once we're out of here!" Meeks said cheerfully and yawned the last of her fatigue. Beside Meeks, Elyxya's eyelids still drooped, "Uh-huh. Did you sleep well last night?" She asked, taking notice of Meeks' yawn. Meeks paused for a moment and then smiled, "I might have if-" She cleared her throat and looked behind her, "-Masoj-" She said his name overly loud for emphasis, "-wouldn't have spent the night pulling off my covers!" She declared and let a chuckle escape her throat, "And you?" She asked her friend. Elyxya couldn't help but smile, "Yes, I slept well. San-Raal's chest is better than any pillow." She commented slyly, knowing that Meeks had no idea that she and San-Raal had slept as Meeks and Masoj had.

Meeks' jaw dropped and she pointed at Elyxya with one off the most exquisite expressions Elyxya had ever seen painted on her face, "No!?! No way!" Meeks yelped then realized she was being loud and piped down a little, "You two...together? Right on!" She exclaimed, her eyes shimmering. Elyxya blushed and unsheathed her sword, "Yep. You knew it was coming...he's liked me from the beginning." She said proudly, waving her sword before her in slow arcs. Meeks frowned, "You guys didn't-" She began tentatively and Elyxya elbowed her hard, "No!" She cried, "Of course not! But he wanted to." She said and looked over at Meeks. A curious gleam found its way into Meeks' eye, "Did you want to?" She asked. Elyxya hid her face behind her sword for a second and then lowered it so that only her eyes were showing, "Yes." She said barely audibly. Meeks began to cheer and then Elyxya made calming gestures with her hands, "Shhh." She said and then gave Meeks a expecting glare, "I've told you about mine now you tell me about yours; have you and Masoj -uh- you know?" She tried and brushed back some of her blood-red hair. Meeks' eyes widened and she grinned and blushed, "Nope." She said, her smile staying put on her lips. Elyxya frowned at her friend, "Why are you smiling?" She asked confusedly. Meeks sighed, "He may seem mean and callous...but he's actually shy and reserved." She said and then looked back at Masoj for a split-second; the wizard smiled at her and then continued his conversation with San-Raal, "I think it's cute. He'll come around. I can wait for him...I'm kinda shy with that sorta stuff too." Meeks decided and felt a warm feeling in her stomach. Elyxya smiled at her friend and figured that she had the right idea.

The group walked back to the two adjacent rooms that had been cleared of gargoyles the day before and found nothing of interest. Before misery began to set in again, Nightshade popped up to the front of the group and offered her services, "I'm going to check all the walls. Yesterday, we were all tired and none of us really payed attention to our surroundings; we could have forgotten something." She said and without waiting for a response, she threw her long black hair over her shoulder and began fondling the walls.

As Nightshade went ahead at doing this, the rest of the team broke up and worked at waking themselves up completely. Pryzma walked up to Sindel and tapped her on the shoulder, "Sindel, I saw you crying last night. You looked as though you were thinking about something awful...do you want to share your agonies with the rest of the group? We could make you feel better." She said brightly, ignoring the nasty look Sindel was giving her. Sindel covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head, "Did you have tell everyone that I was crying?" She grumbled and looked down at Pryzma with the corner of her eye. Pryzma put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, "Don't be a bitch, I just wanna help. You can't keep being this closed up, Sindel; you'll go crazy in a few years." She said and wondered if the high priestess wasn't crazy already.

Sindel stared at Pryzma and thought about telling her the truth; it would make her feel better, and maybe she could get different opinions on the subject. But then again, maybe it would just make the team feel worse and cause them to lose hope. Dran had already contacted her twice and it was more than obvious that he knew almost everything, if not everything, that the team was doing. 

"I was crying because of Dran." Sindel said, and Pryzma frowned in confusion, "Dran contacted me twice already; the first time he interrupted my telepathic connection with Khelben and the second time was last night." She declared. Now the group went silent and everyone gathered round to hear Sindel's words. Sindel couldn't believe she was actually going to tell everyone about the encounters and wished she could just sink into the ground and never return; although that would have contented a few members (Masoj), it wasn't about to happen. 

Elyxya's eyes flared, "Why didn't you tell us??? That's important, you know?!?" She yelled and attracted Nightshade's attention who stopped her wall-fondling and joined the rest of the crew. Sindel made a sharp slicing gesture with her hands, "Shut up, alright?!" She yelped, "I don't know why I didn't tell you guys. Anyway, Dran knows everything that's going on with us; I don't know how, but my guess is he's scrying." She said bluntly. 

Izzy's voice broke from the back of the circle, "So we're screwed?" She asked pathetically. The was a dull thudding sound and Izzy's voice said `ow', and the little thief's question was overlooked. Will exhaled loudly, he knew something was wrong with Sindel (other than her attitude) since the communication with Khelben; he'd just decided it wiser to let her be, "I knew it. So, what did he say to you when you first spoke?" He asked, puting his hands on Sindel's shoulders and sitting her down on her backpack. 

Sindel sniffled and rubbed her nose, "Well, he told me that he knew who I was here with and that he knew we'd just resurrected Amber." She paused and frowned, "And then he got angry because our party had destroyed his undead army." She said as though she was thinking about something else. Although the whole group was mad because Sindel hadn't told them about Dran earlier, Elyxya and Meeks were the most affected; they thought the group was making good progress and that Darkmoon wouldn't know what hit it once it went down, but now the enemy watched them -so Sindel said- and that made the two leaders sorely uncomfortable.

"What does a temple need an undead army for anyway?" Meeks grumbled, barely able to look Sindel in the eye. Sindel's face was long and tired and she seemed to be annoyed at the world, "Look okay, just listen and I'll explain everything." She said and took a deep breath after giving Meeks the evil eye, "Dran said that the undeads were not for us but for Khelben. You see, he...told me...that Khelben was the real culprit in this whole affair." Sindel closed her eyes and dug into her memory to recover the explanation Dran had given her a few nights ago, "Dran said that Khelben was growing bias on issues concerning the Waterdeep that had to be dealt with impartially. He also said that Khelben was being accused of treachery." She said, already feeling the weight being lifted off her chest.

No one in the group came from the Waterdeep proper except Sindel, so no one knew wether to be shocked or not at the mention of the city's archmage being involved in treachery. No members knew if the man was trustworthy, even though he looked to be; the group had just assumed that Khelben was a good and respectable individual. Wouldn't a city's archmage have to be? It was hard to swallow though, learning that the man who hired you to take someone out is really the bad guy, and the entire party wasn't ready to accept it as given. After all, the shocking words had come from the enemy's lips, hadn't they? 

"So you're trying to tell us that Khelben is the nasty one, and not Dran Draggore?" Nightshade said confusedly from beside Masoj and Pryzma. Sindel sighed and nodded her head, "Yes, Nightshade. Anyway, Khelben realized that his place among the lords of the Waterdeep was losing its hold and so he decided to find a way to secure it. That's what this mission is." She got a few confused glances from the people who didn't catch on yet and the others who already had had covered their faces with their hands in disbelief. "What I mean is that Khelben decided that temple Darkmoon, which had gotten very popular and was stirring a lot of rumors because of its quick increase in size and staff, was an evil place. He convinced the lords of this and gathered a group, us, of people to take it down. All of this simply because he wanted to make up for the things he was accused of, he wanted to save the world and make himself look important so that the lords would see him fit to remain on counsel." She finished and took a deep breath.

The group remained silent for a while and members stared at each other in search of a possible answer. Finally, Masoj spoke up, "And you believe that?" He blurted and leaned forward to rest his forearms on his raised knees. Sindel gave Masoj a glare and then stopped in frustration, "Ah hell, I don't know! It sounds credible, doesn't it? I mean, Khelben's a big enough jerk to do that kind of thing..look at what he did to my temple!" She said, hoping that the others' opinions would come in about now. 

Elyxya shrugged and fiddled with the hilt of her sword, "I dunno. Meeks and I are from Myth Drannor and we've only been here a week for training. We didn't really have the time to inspect the politics here...I don't know what Khelben is like. Although I can say that from what I've seen, his only problem is that he's a bore to talk to." She said matter-of-factly; beside her, San-Raal chuckled his approval and held up a long finger, "You know she's right about Khelben. I've been in this temple for the longest time so I've heard nothing of what happens outside, I barely know the secrets of this place! Maybe Dran is wrong, maybe he's right...I couldn't tell you if I tried." He said in a disappointed voice, Elyxya patted his leg and pouted to show accentuated sympathy.

"Well I'll tell you what, he's brainwashing you." Will exclaimed harshly at Sindel's side. Sindel whirled to face the other cleric and frowned, Will nodded and shook his finger at her sternly, "I think it's quite obvious that Dran Draggore is messing with you on purpose because you've met him before and he knows that you don't like Khelben. If Dran is as intelligent as you made him out to be that evening when we were inside the personal chambers of the clergy, then he'd know what gets you're attention. He wants you off his back and he knows that by blaming Khelben, you'll fall right into his trap and who knows...maybe even turn against us!" He gushed in a single breath, causing the entire party to shift uncomfortably. 

Sindel's eyes flared angrily, "You think I'm weak-minded? I never said I believed Dran's words, I only said they were a possibility!" She cried defensively, crossing her arms and looking up at the ceiling in feigned ignorance. Pryzma cleared her throat and began to wonder if it was good that the party was having this argument if Dran was supposedly watching them , "Nightshade and I agree with Will's hypothesis, it sounds like the truth. It's a trap, Sindel, and you're going to have to make sure you don't fall into it because we'd be in dire trouble." She said, puting forth a very real fact. Sindel shook her head, "But Pryzma, what if he's saying the truth!? Won't we look stupid fighting on the wrong side! I don't want to destroy what's to be left alone." She said simply and a bead of cold sweat trickled down her cheek; the statement had symbolism for her previous encounters with Khelben...

A drop of water sounded far off in the distance and the hollow sound portrayed the general feeling coursing through the party at that very moment. Izzy broke the silence and spoke for the first time in the conversation, "And um, what did Dran say last night that made you cry?" She said feebly. Too caught up in the sudden shocking words of Sindel's first encounter with Dran, the group had completely forgotten about the second one. Sindel grinded her teeth, "He warned me that I was wrong to continue destroying his temple and then..." She paused and debated if smiling would give the wrong impression to the party, "...he asked me to join him in ruling Darkmoon as his High-Priestess." She said, delivering the final blow.

Will clapped his hands together triumphantly, "I knew it! He's turning you against us! Did you agree join him?" He cried. Sindel shook her head, "Oh no! I didn't...I-I couldn't!" She said truthfully. Will breathed a little easier and then realized what Dran's generous proposition was actually hiding, "Sindel, is Dran in love with you?" He asked suddenly, wondering if it was possible in other religions than Christian for clergy to have mates. There was a communal drawing of breath amongst the party and an insolent chuckle coming from Masoj. Sindel blinked and then considered the possibility, "I...I...I don't know. I don't think so, I mean we've never really had the chance to get to know each other. We've only talked during the bad times with Khelben when..." She trailed off and stopped herself from saying the next words, knowing they would deliver a blow to her pride, "...when I was sensitive." She finally breathed and covered her face with her hands for a moment.

Although it was hard for Will, or any of the party members, to picture Sindel weak and fragile, he considered that she must have been easier to talk to then and a hundred times more approachable, "And it didn't go beyond chatting then? You said you two had talked a lot, did you become friends?" He asked, a crucial question in this situation. Sindel remembered how Dran had called her friend' the night before, and then recalled how much she had enjoyed talking with him during the bad times with Khelben; and even during the two telepathic conversations, which had been of serious nature, Dran had succeeded in making Sindel smile a few times. "Yes, I suppose. Dran and I became friends." Sindel confessed, realizing it herself for the first time.

Masoj shook his head disapprovingly, "And that's why you're considering his explanation about Khelben to be true. That's also why you feel bad for continuing to ravage this temple." He paused as the group looked over at him and listened, "And that's going to cause a problem." He finished in an apocalyptic tone. Sindel looked everyone in the eye and registered their frustration and amazement, she closed her eyes then and hugged her knees to her chest, "I'm sorry people." She whimpered. Indeed Sindel's association with Dran will cause a problem; a great big problem for the entire group.

Meeks shuddered for no reason and thought of something, "But people, if Dran is Sindel's friend...than why would he lie to her?" She opted brightly, picking at the blade of her polearm. Sindel nodded somberly, "Precisely. The things he says, I think he's trying to protect me. He told me that the fight was between him and Khelben and that I had no reason to interfere. I guess those two reasons pretty much sum up why I tend to think that he might be right about Khelben." She explained, bringing a new twist to the story. Pryzma bit her lower lip, "Oh my." She said slowly, seeing the ambiguity of the party's situation and finding herself no longer able to be so sure that Dran was brainwashing Sindel.

"There's really no way of knowing who's right and who's wrong here. We'll just have to go on our gut feeling. And anyway, if Dran isn't hostile, then why does he let his forces attempt to destroy us?" Amber said triumphantly from beside Izzy, in hopes of making an important point. The group looked over at her and then Sindel shook her head, "For the love of God, Amber! If you owned and loved a gorgeous temple and a gang of people were trying to tear it down, wouldn't you defend your building too?! Even if it was your friend that was doing it...you'd fight back to save your home, wouldn't you?!" She cried desperately and no one dared to say anything against her because she was right. Amber looked around shyly, "Um, I guess your right." She squealed.

Elyxya leaned on San-Raal's shoulder and yawned, "We have a big problem here." She declared in a low tone, "So what do we do? Do we quit and go home or do we take this place down like we're being payed to?" She asked, giving the party an ultimatum. No one dared to answer because very few members were actually sure of the course to take; if it hadn't been for Will, who knows how long the group would have remained in the same spot. The high-priest got up and brushed off his crimson robes, "I'm definitely not giving in to the traitorous and manipulative snake who runs this evil place, I'm going to rid the Waterdeep of temple Darkmoon!" He exclaimed bravely and then unsheathed his longsword and faced the others who remained sitting on the floor, "Who will come with me?" He asked intensely, holding out the blade of his sword. 

Nightshade got to her feet and placed her blade atop Will's, "I want blood." She said with a devious smile. Soon after, Meeks' polearm and Elyxya's sabre joined the pile of bloodied blades, "We want blood." Meeks said definitively. Already, Will's stern expression brightened; he was getting more teammates than he'd initially hoped to get. Masoj figured that all the group's questions would be answered with time, he got up and stood at Will's side, "My magic is at your service." He said in his dark voice and looked over at San-Raal, in hopes that the other mage would come and Masoj wouldn't be the only spellcaster. Indeed San-Raal caught the hint and the little dark elf helped Pryzma (who looked to have caught Masoj's gaze too) to her feet, and the two joined Masoj's side, "Pryzma and I would be glad to help." San-Raal offered softly.

Sindel watched as her teammates piled onto Will's side, she wondered if she should do the same. Seeing everyone else go, Izzy and Amber panicked and ran up to join them, "You might need someone to hold a torch." Izzy said proudly, and Will smiled, happy to get assistance from anyone at the moment. Now everyone looked down at Sindel, who still sat in a ball on the floor with a dismal expression on her face. Will wondered if he should just leave her there before she caused any more trouble but he couldn't get himself to be so cruel; it was against his morals. Sindel looked up at everyone and wished she didn't have to face such a decision; the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she believed Dran. But still, she couldn't just leave...

"I'm in." Sindel squeaked and got to her feet, "Let's...`kick some cleric butt'." She said sourly, recalling Meeks and Elyxya's cheer when the group had been trekking through the woods. She joined the rest of her crew and Will smiled proudly; thinking that Sindel had finally seen the light.

***

Once Sindel's bothersome confessions had been made, and once the whole party felt confident again (well, as much as they could after finding out that their entire mission could very well be a fraud), they returned to attempting to find a way out of the damned passageway they were jammed in. Nightshade resumed her wall fondling, positive that there was a secret hallway that the group had overlooked the night before when they were in a rush to get to safety. The rest of the nine members could do nothing but sit and wait, as they realized that a secret corridor could very well be their last chance to escape Darkmoon's cold and gloomy basement.

"Woohoo! Git' your butts over here!" Nightshade rang from one of the very first walls the party had crossed after finding the correct combination to open the door, "I found another of them tricky button-things!" She called and her gang came rushing with bright and hopeful expressions on their faces.

With the band of seasoned warriors all piled up at her back, Nightshade pressed the small and round rock at the bottom-right corner of the wall. The stonework of the wall dissipated into nothingness and a hallway that turned off to the right materialized. "Oh god please let this be the way out!" Elyxya begged and ran past Nightshade into the corridor beyond with Meeks close behind. The group followed and then Meeks' voice said, "Shit!" Then, "OH!". The passageway they had just found stopped abruptly like a dead end, but Meeks watched in delight as Elyxya put her arm through the wall that stood in their way.

"An illusion! This place is stacked." Will said amazedly and pushed back some hair. Beside him, Masoj smiled devilishly, "This is genuine Drow artistry, Will. Enjoy the ride." He purred and followed Pryzma as she and the others followed Meeks and Elyxya through the illusionary wall. "A door...a locked door." Izzy groaned from the back as the team stopped before a metal door that resembled the ones in the guards' barracks; a pleasant change from the ugly, ogre-like faced doors that orned the rest of the creepy passageway. There was a thud as Elyxya threw her backpack to the floor and began to rummage through it desperately, "I know I have more keys, I just know it..." She mumbled and then sharply pulled out a silver key, "Would this do?" She piped.

Meeks grasped the key from her friend's hand and hurried to insert it inside the lock; the key clinked and the door opened, "Is this luck?" She asked dumbly, undescribably ecstatic and feeling as though this whole dreary passageway was going to be a thing of the past in a few moments. "I don't care if it's luck, it's giving me hope!" Elyxya cried and stalked into the room beyond. There was a staircase that the party ascended which lead to another, and then another, and finally a large spider web barred their way.

Elyxya drew back and cringed, "Ah hell, I'm not going in there!" She whined, turning to the rest of the team. Meeks stepped up to the large web and ran the blade of her polearm against it, "Hmm, that's just like that one web in that passageway near where we'd found Insal." She remarked thoughtfully. "Uh-huh, and you remember what I told you about that web, Meeks?" Masoj said smoothly, coming up behind Meeks and raising an eyebrow at her. Meeks sighed and frowned, "You told me that there's always two spiders beyond those webs and that they're tricky." She recited boredly. Masoj nodded, "That's right, so watch your back." He advised. 

Elyxya cowered behind Meeks as she raised her polearm and sliced down the sticky substance and stepped into the hallways beyond. She looked around paranoïdly and strained her ears to hear the slightest sound that could warn her of either of the spiders' coming, "Oh good job, Masoj. You've made me nervous!" Meeks said, her throat all cotton-like. The hallway divided into three sections, all looping into one-another. The group went down the far left one, and eliminated the chances of having spiders coming at them from two directions; by walking close to the wall, they would only have to hold off one monster at a time. 

There was a quick ticking sound and then a high-pitched shreak as a giant spider turned the corner at the group's back and startled them witless. Before Meeks and Elyxya had the time to turn around and bolt towards the spider, San-Raal and Pryzma's magic thundered into the ugly thing and sent it sprawling back against the far wall. Just as relief set in that one of the beasts was dead, Amber's shrill voice yelped, "Elyxya, Meeks! Behind you!" And the second creature made its appearance. The two warriors turned simultaneously and slashed their blades in a wide arc, taking two of the spider's legs. The final blow was dealt and the group hurried their pace to get as far from the monsters as they possibly could.

"There's another web over there." Sindel spoke in a low tone, for the first time since they'd left the spot where she'd told them of her telepathic conversations with Dran. The team stalked around the designed corner and sliced through the web; to everyone's awe and pleasure, they found themselves inside the little room where Masoj had first told Meeks and Elyxya not to cut through the web.

A general sigh of relief flooded the group and smiled painted every member's lips, even Sindel's. Elated fires burned in Masoj's lean cheeks as Meeks threw her arms around him in a tight hug, "You have no idea how happy I am to be back here." He breathed, feeling as though a dark cloud had just left his heart and mind. Elyxya lunged for the far wall and stretched out against it, "Ooooooh, bliss..." She mumbled to herself in utter happiness; the joie de vivre that the gloomy passageway had taken from her was back within her at last. Will and Sindel looked at each-other and smiled, "We can heal people again." Will said thankfully, "I can feel it." He added. Sindel nodded, she felt it too. Izzy and Amber danced in circles like juvenile misfits, "We made it! We made it!" They chanted over and over again. "Have I uncovered enough passageways yet?" Nightshade asked sarcastically, and looked over at Pryzma who smiled nicely and said, "No." Simply. Pryzma was really the only member who hadn't suffered a noticeable change in temperament during the group's episode in the passageway; she just remained calm.

San-Raal stepped up and stood amongst the group's center and held out his arms for attention; when he got it, he cleared his throat and said, "Now let us never speak of the passageway ever again." He smiled as the thought of it reassured him. Silently, the group agreed and morale began to set in once again. 


	10. Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX 

Peace on Earth

"Aw, come on! I wanna see what's behind that carving out there!" Meeks whined at Sindel and Will as the two clerics busied about Elyxya and Masoj; Meeks got no answer and decided to let it go for the time being. Instead of rushing straight to the stone carving in the lobby, the team clerics had wisely decided to make a stop within the safety of the resurrection chamber to heal those that needed help and to let the team `cool down' from their last episode. Before the group embarked on any new adventure, every member had to regain full health and composure.

"Now just a minute there, son. Come back." Will said as Masoj jerked away from him at the sting of his healing face; Will was almost done healing the deep scratches on Masoj's cheek and the lithe wizard flinched at his every move. "That burns!" Masoj yelped helplessly, hesitant in letting Will complete his job; Will's scowl showed his impatience, "Do you want your face to remain as it is, or not?" Will said quickly and shot Masoj a serious glare. The dark elf blinked and in a split second, returned to Will's side.

Happy to have regained her divine powers, Sindel darted to Elyxya's side and began healing the warrior's leg and arm injuries. Elyxya was glad to be healed, although she really wasn't all that affected by her wounds, "You know, Sindel, my problems can wait; I really think that San-Raal's wounds are deeper and more serious than mine." Elyxya said simply and looked behind her shoulder at the person in question. San-Raal sat against the wall right near the teleporter with his eyes shut, perhaps he was tired. Sindel sighed and looked up from Elyxya's forearm, Elyxya smiled and Sindel decided to overlook her disdain and well -racism- for the Drow race, "Um, alright..." She breathed slowly and made her way over to where San-Raal sat quietly.

San-Raal opened his eyes and looked up at Sindel as the priestess' shadow came over him, he frowned and Sindel frowned back. "Let me see what I can do about the tears in your shoulders and chest." Sindel attempted, lowering herself to the mage's side. San-Raal watched her as she sat and made eye contact with her once she had settled, "Please don't hurt me." He said calmly, unsure about the way the priestess would take the request. Sindel bore an annoyed expression, "Look, I said I'd heal you. Now let me do my job, boy." She said in a low tone. San-Raal looked at her for a moment and then reached up and opened the front of his thick robes.

"You seem tired." Sindel spoke once the wizard was done. San-Raal watched intently as Sindel removed the makeshift bandages that wrapped his torso,"I don't know about you, but the gargoyles and the stress we've just went through have taken my strength." He said, keeping his tone reserved and rather cold. Sindel rejoiced in feeling the warmth of her clerical powers again; she summoned her strength and closed up the large wound that had caused San-Raal the most pain, "It wasn't that bad, you're alive aren't you?" She commented. San-Raal scowled, "I'm not a warrior. Running around evil temples, destroying undead armies and battling hordes of flying beasts is not what I do." He spat sharply, hoping that this little conversation would not lead to another of Sindel's bashing fests.

Sindel methodically healed the dark elf's wounds, wishing deep inside her that she wouldn't have to touch him so much, "Well sor-ry." She said sarcastically and looked up at San-Raal, "We're doing alright though, aren't we? We're learning. And we're not all warriors, except maybe Meeks and Elyxya." She uttered, catching a glint in her patient's eye. San-Raal looked away in defeat and Sindel returned to her healing with a devious smile, "Do you like the team you're in?" She asked, "Do you like the people you have to work with?" She added. "It's alright, I suppose. Anything to get me out of the situation I was in before you all came." San-Raal responded, unsure of where Sindel was going with this. A sharp pain snapped through San-Raal's chest as Sindel healed a particularly deep cut, "You like Elyxya?" Sindel said bluntly and gave her patient a cruel stare.

"Point being?" San-Raal choked, through both the pain of his healing wound as well as the shock of the sudden change in conversation. Sindel continued to smile, "Oh, I don't know...I just think it's odd that both you and Masoj are entertaining little `relationships' with Meeks and Elyxya. Do you like Masoj?" She said offhandedly, making her words sound like rehearsed script lines. San-Raal shook his head; Sindel sounded like a young school girl asking around for allies in a childish fight, "If you expect me to say anything bad about him than you've asked the wrong person. Your problems with Masoj are not of my concern." He said pointedly as Sindel finished the last of his wounds. "Take my advice, wizard," Sindel hissed as she ended her task and looked up into San-Raal's eyes, "If you and Masoj are too weak to defend yourselves," She smiled wide, "than Meeks and Elyxya are not there dispense the protection you crave." She watched proudly as San-Raal's jaw dropped and then patted his cheek, got up and strode up to where Elyxya waited patiently for her aid. San-Raal gawked at Sindel's brash and insolent remark; what had he ever done to her to receive the poison she dealt to him? Was it the same with Masoj? Were all of her thoughts so warped and corrupt?

Elyxya smiled and outstretched her arm so that Sindel could continue what she had started before Elyxya had told her to go see San-Raal instead, "What were you guys chatting about?" Elyxya asked brightly; she hadn't heard a word of the conversation Sindel and San-Raal had had, but she noticed the dark elf's dumfounded expression when she looked over at him. Sindel smiled nicely at the red-headed fighter and made a dismissive gesture with her hand, "Oh-- nothing important." She said lightly and began to hum as she let her powers do their work on her team mate.

Just as Will was done with Masoj's facial wounds, Nightshade and Pryzma appeared at his back and Pryzma tapped him on the shoulder, "Will? Nightshade, me, Amber and Izzy all think that the team should stay in this chamber for the remainder of the day." She began when Will had turned to face her, "You see, we're all tired and you and Sindel have just finished healing everyone; it would only be fair for us to get one day of relaxation. And a good night's sleep, out of that damned passageway and safe from any trouble." She explained furthermore and at her side, Nightshade nodded empathetically. Will stared at Pryzma and Nightshade for a moment, thinking the request through, "I don't think there'd be a problem with that. I'm in favor of getting a bit of rest myself...I suppose you could ask around and see what the others think about it and then the majority will decide." He concluded, quite positive that the final decision would be to stay.

"Alright." Pryzma piped then grabbed Nightshade's arm and pulled her to the nearest person she could interrogate. The two asked everyone and the only resistance they encountered came on the part of Meeks and Elyxya, both wanted to go on with the mission and rest later in the evening. But like Will had said, the majority won and the party remained within the resurrection chamber. 

Throughout the day, the group didn't do much. Nightshade, Pryzma, Izzy and Amber went from person to person in search of good conversation; unfortunately for them, they were more or less left out of every conversation they joined so they were left to talk to each other - which caused little fights now and then. When Meeks and Elyxya weren't talking with anyone else, they were either whining about the unfairness of their situation or cleaning and sharpening their weaponry. Will and Sindel didn't chat much; Sindel's confession about Dran and the entire party's predicament had caused Will to embolden and grow protective, Sindel seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and would occasionally cast demeaning stares at either Masoj or San-Raal for reasons that Will could only guess. Without anyone actually hearing them, Masoj and San-Raal spent the day talking and flipping through their spellbooks; rumor had it though, that there was a conspiracy building between the two dark elven wizards and Sindel - but no one really knew what exactly was going on.

When dinner time came around, the crew gathered in the center of the room for their meal. Sindel and Will both conjured the food and everyone seated themselves for one of the most quiet and pleasant meals they had had since they'd come to Darkmoon...at least that's what they all thought.

"I haven't been this disposed to eat for a while now." Nightshade said raspily, across from Will and beside Pryzma and Meeks. The truth was that almost no one in the group had been hungry at all since the depression of being stuck inside the gloomy passageway had hit them; this would actually be the first meal that everyone would partake it. "You mean you're hungry, right?" Meeks asked between bites of bread, unsure of Nightshade's fancy use of vocabulary. Nightshade smiled and drank from a large goblet, "Right." She chuckled; Nightshade was just about the only member in the team that didn't find Meeks' not-so-quick wit annoying, she thought it was comical.

"I'm afraid I'll eat so much that I won't be able to sleep tonight." Elyxya confessed as she reached over San-Raal's legs and grasped some of the wizard's food. San-Raal cast Elyxya a glare and then pushed her out of his way, "Eat your own food, Elyxya. The rest of us need to eat too, you know." He said, beginning to get frustrated. Elyxya stared back at the drow blankly and then coughed when a piece of fruit got jammed in her throat, "Sorry." She squeaked and San-Raal shook his head; he was smarter than to think Elyxya would actually stop. 

Will looked around as the team dug into the sustenance he and Sindel had conjured; he was very happy to see the team so relaxed, "You know, I'm really proud to say that we've all held together pretty well up to now." He declared, getting smiles from most everyone. As his eyes examined the small group, he came upon Meeks, Elyxya, San-Raal and Masoj, "And it seems to me that a few couples have formed...how pleasant!" Will commented, receiving the attention of the people in question. 

Now everyone stared at the two couples; Meeks, with food in her mouth, decided to add her two cents, "I like Masoj...he's smart." She said meekly and patted Masoj's leg. Sindel coughed synthetically from across Meeks, "Well one of you has to be." She added meanly, getting reproachful glares from the rest of the group and a disbelieving gawk from Meeks. Masoj frowned and draped his arm about Meeks' shoulders, "I don't want to hear that kind of trash, Sindel. Meeks may not be perfect, but she is a great addition to the party; and I like her. Which is not as much as I can say for you." He snapped defensively, entering in yet another evil stare contest with Sindel. Sindel bared her teeth in animal-like behavior, "Keep the goody-two-shoes act for your momma, Masoj. Everyone knows you're in it for Meeks' blade, not her company." She hissed malignantly. 

Will quickly saw the pleasant evening going to hell. He also noticed that Sindel had gotten nastier since her confessions down in the passageway; why was she acting up so much? Will scolded himself for bringing up Masoj and San-Raal, he knew the subject was fragile...

The crew had gone silent and listened to Sindel and Masoj, "What are you talking about?" Masoj asked dumbfoundedly, at his side, Meeks was rigid and incredulous of what was happening here. Soon enough, San-Raal cut into the conversation with a viciousness no one had seen in him before, "Oh no you don't! Don't start that crap with Masoj, Sindel! I'm warning you!" He menaced, getting up and pointing his finger accusatingly at Sindel. Elyxya, who was sitting beside him, became confused and looked up at San-Raal, "What do you mean? What's going on?" She asked in a shrill voice; Elyxya feared arguments and didn't want anything bad to happen, but why was Sindel being so mean all of a sudden? San-Raal looked down at Elyxya and made a chopping gesture with his hand, "Look, Elyxya; I didn't think I'd have to share his with you, but while Sindel here was healing my wounds instead of yours, she made some rather untimely and insolent comments about you and I that greatly resembled what she just said about Masoj!" He explained quickly, his right hand balling up into a fist. Elyxya looked over at Sindel, "Is that true?" She asked, in a somewhat child-like manner. Sindel got to her feet and grinned proudly, "Yes dear, it is true." She said and leaned forward, "Don't you realize that San-Raal and his friend Masoj are interested in you and Meeks only because you two can fight and they can't? Don't you realize that you're being lead on? Or are you just as dense as your friend Meeks here?" She spat, pointing down at Meeks who was still in shock.

There were a series of gasps on the part of Nightshade, Pryzma, Izzy and Amber. In the seconds to come, Masoj stood up with a growl, causing Pryzma to cry out in nervousness and cling to Nightshade's side. Still on the floor, where she felt she glued, Elyxya looked over at Meeks and then up at Sindel, "That's not true, you don't know what you're saying! What's wrong with you? Stop calling Meeks names, you're scaring me!" She cried, and then felt a hot tear streak down her cheek. 

Sindel's eyes flared and she drew out her sword, "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" She shrieked suddenly. From beside Sindel, Will saw that this argument was not going in the right direction and go to his feet and tried to get a hold of Sindel's sword, "Sindel! Stop right this instant! Drop the sword and breathe!" He urged her, but in a split-second, Sindel mumbled a few words and paralyzed him. There were more gasps on the part of Nightshade, Pryzma, Izzy and Amber. Sindel was a high-priestess, her spell would not give out any time soon.

On the sight of magic, Masoj and San-Raal summoned their own powers in case Sindel decided to take her hostility craze a little further. Alerted by Will's paralysis, Meeks snapped out of her daze and examined the situation being played out before her. She grasped her polearm and began to get up, but Elyxya shot her a meaningful look that begged her to stay down and as far away as possible from the three standing individuals; and Meeks wasn't too dumb to understand her friend's silent plead. 

Sindel looked away from Will's motionless figure and smiled conceitedly, "What are you two waiting for? Come and get it." She taunted Masoj and San-Raal in a raspy voice and turned her sword towards the two wizards. The tension in the room was extreme and no one dared to cut in; what either of the three enraged teammates might do next was too dangerous to bargain with. "No don't!" Yelped Meeks from the floor, unable to help herself; something had to be done or someone was going to get badly hurt. Sindel laughed wickedly at the concerned warrior, "Shut up, Meeks. There's nothing you can do...there's gonna be a fight here tonight and if you even think of interfering, I'll make sure you learn your lesson." She warned with a scornful sneer. There was only so much that Meeks could take from an individual and Sindel had crossed the line, "Why you little-" Meeks began as she got up; she shouted something inaudible and charged for Sindel. Sindel's hand came up and the priestess began to utter the words to a spell but just as the doewmer's power reached its peak, a volley of magical missiles jolted into her, bruising her under the skin and causing her to lose her concentration.

Now that the battle had broke lose, Nightshade, Pryzma, Izzy and Amber had bolted from their spots and were huddled against the furthest wall. Meeks, caught off guard by the magical missiles, threw herself to the ground. Before she could get up and take a slice at Sindel for her insolence, Elyxya's voice reached her ears, "Meeks! Get back here, NOW!" She heard her friend gasp. Aware that it was wiser to obey Elyxya and that she really wanted to get at Sindel, Meeks made the right decision and joined her friend before Sindel regained her wits.

Masoj, the missiles' caster, watched Sindel as she came to and smiled, "You leave Meeks and everyone else out of this! It's San-Raal and me you want." He said and heard San-Raal mumble an incantation at his side. Sindel knew that she had a disadvantage in this fight, but she truly believed that she could win, "You Drow bastards are the worst." She grumbled and let loose a flame strike spell. The searing ball of flames shot forward and caused Masoj and San-Raal to dive to either sides. Unluckily though, Masoj had been close to the far wall and didn't have much room to duck into to escape the fireball. The flames burned his right side, but not to a serious extent. 

By the time that the spell had come to its fiery end, Sindel was atop San-Raal. She came in cursing and crying out and slashing madly with her sword and managed to slice open the sleeve of San-Raal's robe. The dark elf twisted and wriggled like he had when the gargoyle had attacked him in the passageway; Sindel was much heavier than he but he managed to push her off of him. There was a moment when Sindel was free and out in the open and at the sight of this, Amber dove forward and off the wall she was against. With Izzy yelling at her and grasping at her, Amber stole into the center of the room and came up behind Sindel; the thief unsheathed her sword and meant to strike down Sindel. But the priestess, caught up in the fight with her eyes on San-Raal who pulled a dagger from his robes, thought that the assailant at her back was Masoj (whom she lost track of when she dove for San-Raal). With a cat's speed, Sindel turned her sword and ran it neatly through Amber's ribs; the blonde thief gasped and collapsed to the ground.

"Amber!" Izzy screeched at the top of her lungs; it was hell for her not to go out and tend to Amber's lifeless body. At the sound of Izzy's voice, Sindel understood that she hadn't killed Masoj at all - she'd killed Amber instead. A nasty smiled crept onto her lips and she decided that it wasn't all that bad anyway, she never really cared for the little nuisance. Her pleasure was short-lived though, because San-Raal's dagger flew through the air and cut into her shoulder.

"Damn!" Sindel mumbled and then pulled the sharp range weapon from her shoulder and threw it to the ground. She looked across the room at San-Raal and noticed that the wizard wasn't preparing another spell. Before she could wonder why, someone tapped her on the shoulder and she instinctively turned - her sword leading the way; there was no one there. Tense and afraid of being put in a situation, she whirled back around...and came face-to-face with a grinning Masoj. With strength uncommon for a mage, Masoj backhanded Sindel across the face twice over, saying, "Racist bitch.".

For some odd reason, Sindel tore away from Masoj and put on another of those wicked smiles of hers, "You two wizards are a waste of time," She said in a low tone, and spat out a little bit of blood, "Go back to the dank, dark hole you came from and keep your perverted love for the slave-driving wenches that own you." She cursed, her words sounding like devils'speak. Masoj shook his head, "Sindel, you don't know what love is." He said sadly, wondering if he should feel pity for the attention-craved, ruthless and anger-ridden priestess before him. It was amazing what hatred could do to one, Masoj though, and the worst thing was, that he didn't even know why exactly Sindel hated him and San-Raal so much. Was it because of their race? The fact that they were mages? It couldn't possibly be the simple fact that she thought that he and San-Raal used Meeks and Elyxya for protection... Or maybe she was just a horrible person?

With a dire need to put Sindel out of her misery, Masoj cast a death spell that the priestess dispelled with a flick of her wrist. Sindel growled and brought her bloody sword down in a angle as she charged for Masoj; the young drow snapped his fingers and was gone. Sindel slashed at the air before her and then looked up in horror as San-Raal, whom she had forgotten in her little chat with Masoj, cast a lightning bolt that came at her full force. The high-priestesses' jaw dropped and the spell made impact, sending her sprawling to the other end of the room, her skin looking like someone had cut her repeatedly with a rusty razor blade.

As Sindel claimed her last bits of energy before going unconscious, she looked up and saw both of her nemesis-wizards striding towards with magical energy coursing about their fingers; they wanted to finish their job, "You've not won." She said and chuckled, blood coming up in her throat, "Mark my words, I'll tear your little worlds apart...I promise." She hissed and with her last once of energy, she cast another flame strike spell that distracted Masoj and San-Raal and the seriously weakened priestess tore through the teleporter at the other end of the room and disappeared.

When Sindel left the room, the only sound that could be heard was the gentle sobbing of Izzy. Pryzma grasped Nightshade's side until the fight was done and then ran to the center of the room where San-Raal and Masoj looked out at the teleporter, "Are you both alright?" She asked gently and waved her hands in front of the two mages' faces to tear their attention away from the teleporter. "Yes, we're fine." San-Raal answered after a bit of time. Meeks and Elyxya came up behind Pryzma and both were wide-eyed and gawking, "Wow!" Meeks uttered, unable to say anything more. Elyxya shoved San-Raal's arm, "Why did you do that!?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" She demanded worriedly, feeling her knees all shaky and unstable even though she hadn't participated in the fight at all. San-Raal took a deep breath and wondered if he and Masoj should go hunt down Sindel, "Elyxya, there were some things that had to be said and done between Sindel and Masoj and I. It's better this way." He explained as best he could and then looked over at Masoj who hugged Meeks affectionately, "And anyway, did you see how psycho she got?" He added, truly dumfounded by it now that he thought about it.

Izzy's voice joined the conversation now; she was right in front of the two couples and she was crouched down near Amber's body, "Sindel hates us now." She said in a desperate tone and stroked Amber's hair in a final goodbye, "She really hates us now. And I'm scared." She said finally and looked up at Nightshade who had joined the rest of the crew in the center of the room. At the other end of the room, Will reanimated; Sindel's paralyzation spell had finally ended.

"Oh dear god, what have we done." Will said, drawing everyone's attention. Being paralyzed, Will couldn't move but he was still conscious and he could still see - he had witnessed the entire battle and had been completely unable to do anything about it. "So much for a nice quiet dinner, huh?" The shocked priest managed, not really meaning the comment as a joke but getting a nervous giggle from Meeks anyway.

Nightshade cleared her throat, "S-so, I don't think we'll be getting the great rest we were hoping to get tonight, eh?"


	11. Chapter 10

CHAPTER X 

Test of Faith

That night, no one slept well at all. Those who didn't toss and turn from nightmares spent the night awake and expecting Sindel to come back through the teleporter like an enraged animal ready to kill. Most affected by the evening's shocking events was Will; not only was he worried because he'd be the only healer in the party now, but he couldn't help but repeat to himself that he knew Sindel would eventually go crazy and flip like she did. There were two attempts at retrieving Sindel after her hasty exit, but both failed; Sindel was nowhere to be found. 

In the morning, Will made a quick telepathic connection with Khelben and told him of the recent happenings. Khelben said nothing about the incident with Sindel, only that he had expected something of the sort to happen. Instead, he concentrated his time on mourning the unfortunate death of his scout, Amber. Amber's body was teleported from the resurrection chamber and was taken back to Khelben; Will couldn't help but wish Khelben could teleport the rest of the team back to the city too. The communication ended on the note that Will and his team should stay as far away as possible from Dran Draggore; the high-priest was much too dangerous to mess around with, Khelben warned. 

Although Will was the most affected by Sindel's outburst, the whole team suffered a bit of change. Masoj and San-Raal gained importance amongst the team and became doubly protective of Meeks and Elyxya; the two warriors themselves were overcome by a sense of being toyed with in some way by either Dran or Khelben; Nightshade and Pryzma both became just a little more paranoid and jumpy; Izzy's heart was darkened at the loss of Amber, and she seemed so troubled, that even Nightshade and Pryzma didn't bother to torment her. 

Now, gathered around the stone carving in the lobby, the eight remaining members of the party braced themselves for whatever lay beyond the wall before them. "Here are all four horns; South, West, North and East. Hopefully this'll work like we think." Elyxya said, pulling the silver horns from her backpack, "So we just blow in em, right?" Elyxya asked once she held all the instruments in her hands. "Yes." Meeks said decisively at Masoj's side, waiting with surprising curiosity the following events. Elyxya nodded, took a deep breath and blew softly, to avoid making too much commotion, inside each of the glittering horns; the sound each of them made went from high-pitched to low and cavernous. As the entire group watched in awe, the carving of the four clouds that had made Meeks laugh so much dissipated into nothingness. Now, instead of the wall, there was a staircase going up; a relatively short one that promised light at the top.

"I knew it!" San-Raal cheered as he strode forward and examined the edge of the wall that had once been juncture to the disappearing carving, "Fascinating." He echoed to himself. Being trapped inside Darkmoon's catacombs and being forced to do chores and such for the last few years of his life, San-Raal didn't get to come into contact with the magical things he would normally come across every so often as a mage. The group stormed past the awestruck wizard and climbed the stairs quickly, "Wait!" San-Raal called as his gang mounted the last steps; he shook his head and tore after them.

At the top of the stairs was a large, well-lit room that sported walls with odd patterns carved into them. There was a large area up ahead that went further back, and two separate rooms: to the left and to the right. "Oh...crap." Nightshade's voice came from the back, frustrated and a little frightened. What had caught Nightshade's attention caught the rest of the team's attention as well; the floor of the large area up ahead was covered with round plate-like devices that generated columns of electrical energy. The electrical charge created by each plate shot straight up and was then absorbed by another plate-like device on the ceiling that matched the one on the floor; the current stopped for about two seconds time and then started up again, leaving little time to pass. Electric plates such as these also bordered the entrance to each of the rooms to the left and right; the only difference was, that the plates bordering the entrances to the left and right room didn't have the two-second time lapse between jolts of electricity, the current was constant.

Pryzma frowned and decided that having the whole group running through these electricity columns would be stupid; too many members would get hurt while few others wouldn't, and no one really knew how strong the electrical jolts would be, "Maybe we should split up." She opted, getting everyone's attention away from the cruel plates, "It would save time, and possibly even injuries. We don't have two clerics anymore," She gave Will a confident nod, "so we'll have to keep risks low. If we split up and go in the three different directions that lay before us, I think we could make better progress." She explained. Masoj nodded and then looked around and back to Pryzma, "Sure...but, where do we meet up again? How do we know all these different rooms don't lead to others that'll cause us to separate from each other?" He asked, bringing up a good point. Pryzma closed her eyes in thought and then clasped her hands together, "Well, Masoj, why don't we all meet up here? If any of us run into lots of options -as in places we could go- we just come back here and wait for the others to come back. We just have to go as far as we can without straying too much and then we come back here. Make sense to you?" She said with a pleasant and content smile.

Before any answer could be given to Pryzma's question, a holographic image of a well-dressed bearded man appeared before the group, "Making plans already? Magnificent!" The image spoke, "Welcome, postulants, to the Test of Faith!" He exclaimed in a friendly voice. Meeks stepped forward and put her hands on her hips defiantly, "But we're not here to become cleric-" She began to protest but Elyxya nudged her and cut her off, "Tell us of the test, kind sir." She said formally; Elyxya didn't want to alert the holographic image so that it would be forced to ask why -if not for gaining the title of clerics of Darkmoon- the party was there. The man before the group was the most pleasant-looking individual that they had encountered to this day in that temple, "I can tell you nothing of the test, m'lady. Only that you must trust yourselves...and nothing else!" He declared mysteriously and began to vanish.

"Wait!" Will called, but the image was gone as quickly as it came, "Well that was pointless! He appeared, told us to trust ourselves and nothing else, and then disappeared. What kind of a preparation to a test is that?" He grumbled as he turned to face the others, he'd hoped that the holographic man would have said more. Elyxya shook her head in disbelief, "So we're in for the Test of Faith, eh? To become clerics of this place? I always thought that to become clergy you'd only have to answer simple questions like `do you believe in God?' or something...but not passing through electrical fields!" She commented, throwing her hand out towards the room ahead that shimmered with the many bolts. San-Raal held up a finger and stepped behind Elyxya, "Isn't this where Amber died?" He paused and rolled his eyes, "Well..the first time anyway?" He corrected himself. The crew smiled -all except Izzy, who's eyes began to water- and Meeks nodded empathetically, "Oh, yeah-" She said and then, "But we're gonna pass!" She cheered suddenly.

"That would be the first test you'd ever pass..." Elyxya said mischievously and gave Meeks a friendly slap on the back. "Shut up, Elyxya." Meeks snapped, sticking out her tongue at her friend, "Miss `an apple is a vegetable'." She taunted, recalling something Elyxya had said the day before in the resurrection chamber. Elyxya pursed her lips and turned up her nose, "Alright...how about those teams? Who goes with who?" She asked, changing the subject to avoid getting into a little fight with Meeks like the one they'd gotten into the first time they'd come to Darkmoon. 

Izzy spoke her opinion first, "Um, don't put all the fighters together and scatter the magic-users." She said justly, hoping to god that she wouldn't be stuck with either Pryzma or Nightshade...I mean, she wanted to come back after all. Nightshade and Pryzma didn't do anything too awful to Izzy when they were together, but Izzy figured that it was because they couldn't figure out who would get to kill her; alone, the opportunities were numerous... "Great idea, Izzy!" Meeks exclaimed loudly, with a gleam in her eye; she grasped Masoj's arm and pulled him to her, "I'm with Masoj." She declared, all the while giving Izzy a look that said `as if I'd let you go with me or Masoj'. Masoj smiled and waved at Izzy insolently; at least he wouldn't be stuck with her. 

"There's three directions to take and we are eight, so I'll go with Elyxya and San-Raal." Will said in a confident tone and the three gathered, leaving Izzy behind with Nightshade and Pryzma. "NOOOO!" Izzy yelled shrilly; she couldn't believe that she was stuck with not one, but both of her bullies. Hopefully it's not for long, she thought to herself as Pryzma smiled at her and beckoned her to come near with her finger. "Come here, my pretty pretty. You'll be in good hands." Nightshade said raspily and patted Izzy's head.

"Teams look fair enough." San-Raal said and then he looked back into the rooms beyond, "Now who goes where?" He asked and hoped he'd get to clear out a particularly dull area. Meeks ran to the edge of the room directly ahead and looked into the electrical jolts to see what lay at the end of the long line, "I'm going in there!" She decided and the rest of the team breathed a sigh of relief, happy that they wouldn't have to do that particular area. Masoj brought his hands up to his face and whimpered, "Why? Why couldn't you have picked something simpler?" He whined; Meeks turned and walked up to him. She reached up and touched the drow's nose, then brought her hand down and patted his behind playfully, "You're up to it, you just don't know it yet." She said simply and Masoj put on a totally desperate expression that made Meeks smile.

Will nodded in complete agreement to Meeks' choice of course and then pointed to the room on the right, "San-Raal, Elyxya, and I are going to the right." He pointed out and began to move towards that entrance. "We'll meet you guys back here, promise!" Elyxya called to her pals and followed San-Raal as he took her hand and pulled her towards the right electrical pod. Pryzma, still in the same spot, shrugged, "Alright then, me, Izzy and Nightshade are going this way." She said and pointed towards the left entrance, then added under her breath, "Like we have a choice." 

Both Meeks and Masoj watched forlornly as their friends went in opposite directions; they would stay right where they were...until Meeks decided to make a kamikaze run through the electrical curtains. They watched as Elyxya, the first to go through one of the electrical fields, ran through the silver-blue light of one of the pods. The red-head yelped and then yelled back to her group that it didn't hurt that bad; and now Meeks and Masoj knew what to expect.

***

The night before, after a near-death experience with Masoj and San-Raal, Sindel tore out of the resurrection chamber like a demon out of holy water. Weak, enraged, and desperate, Sindel made her way up to the clerical living quarters and used one of the well-furnished rooms to get some rest in and began to heal her injuries. The cleric who rightfully owned the room came in while Sindel tended to herself and demanded of her what she was doing there. The cleric did not suspect that Sindel wasn't from Darkmoon. Sindel lied to the man and told him that she had gotten injured in the catacombs while doing tasks, and that she had taken his room because it was closest to the stairs. The cleric thought her story plausible and then asked her nicely to leave; Sindel then told him that she had to have a word with Dran and asked the cleric to take her to him. The confused cleric asked her why she needed his help to go to Dran and Sindel, truthfully unaware of Dran's whereabouts in the temple, told the man that she needed an escort because she could collapse at any moment.

Once Dran's `floor' was reached, which was situated at the very top of the temple, Sindel's escort hastily left her and returned to the lower chambers. Not truly wounded as to need the help of an escort, and quite capable of walking, Sindel stood in the center of an absurdly large room -unlike any other she had seen in the temple- and stared around her. The room was carpeted in red, black, yellow, and white; the walls were a gold color and sported odd patterns, including carved winding snakes that framed each wall portion. The lighting was low and comfortable for one's eyes, it was quiet and only the sweeping of robes could be heard once in while -the sweeping of clerical robes, Sindel figured.

"How...imperial." Sindel commented to herself as her eyes swept over her surroundings. She whirled around and spotted a staircase to her right, a long-seeming hallway to her left, and two turnoffs: at her back and ahead of her. Her feet made no sound as she walked up to a wall to her left and ran her fingers over its shimmering, golden surface. "And drow hands built this...?" She sneered as she remembered that the entire temple was a fine work of the Drow. She touched one of the engraved snakes and marveled in the intricacy of the sculpted grooves; so life-like they seemed...

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A calm voice sounded from behind Sindel and shocked her witless. She jumped and spun around, "Dran!" She cried suddenly and looked up at the overlord. Sindel hadn't seen Dran face-to-face since her troubles with Khelben; she'd forgotten how tall he actually was, Dran had close to a foot on Sindel. He was clothed in black and wore a scarlet clerical overcoat that resembled a cape from the back. "At last you came! It took a little more time than I'd thought it would, but that's alright." Dran said and smiled down at Sindel. A frown formed on Sindel's features and she crossed her arms over her chest, "Well you can thank Masoj Hun'ett and San-Raal Dragonsphere for my coming to you." She said scornfully and set her jaw at the thought of the two tricksters. Dran raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, "Oh really?" He said mysteriously and made eye-contact with Sindel.

Sindel shook her head confusedly, "What do you mean?" She asked quickly and dully, her eyes darkening with apprehension. Something about the glint in Dran's snake-like emerald eyes told Sindel that she was going to learn something tonight. Dran sighed and adjusted the cuffs of his red, gold-trimmed, clerical overcoat, "Sindel, I really thought you would have caught on earlier but...Anyway, the fight you just had with the two dark elves was almost entirely my fault." He stated and waited for Sindel to react. When Sindel looked away from him in response, Dran continued his revelations, "It's quite obvious that you don't like Masoj or San-Raal. So it struck me as very simple to amplify your hatred for them through magical means and force you to fight them." He said pointedly and examined Sindel as she thought.

"But why?" Sindel asked as she realized that she had really gotten into trouble now, "Why would you do that? My troubles with the wizards are as personal as your troubles with Khelben." She stated, shaking her head defiantly. Slowly, Dran's eyes shifted away from Sindel in an annoyed fashion, "And you interfered in my affairs, therefore you're in no position to tell me not to interfere in yours." He snapped, moistening his lips and giving Sindel a glare that seemed to say `just shut up and let me talk'. "Look, the reason I did all this is because that I knew you'd come running if social matters amongst you and your team got too stressful." Dran continued before Sindel could come up with a snappy comeback that would only be a waste of time to respond to.

With a tedious expression, Sindel shifted her weight from her left foot to her right foot, "And why, may I ask, do you want me to come running?" She asked, beginning to wish she'd waited until the next morning to have this chat with Dran; she was tired from her earlier fight and needed a good night's rest. A rather contempt grin found its way onto Dran's face as he reached out and set his hand down on Sindel's shoulder, "Well obviously! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want you involved in the destruction of Darkmoon? As I said before, this fight is not yours; your presence here is mearly...a mistake...on the part of the lords of the Waterdeep. Had they known you had no intention of barbarically ravaging my temple, they would have fetched another priestess to fulfil your position." He explained in a breath, visibly on the defensive now, "And...aren't you pleased to be here? Don't you feel relief that you won't have to go through what your teammates will go through?" 

Sindel sniffed and frowned up at the taller cleric, "I don't know," She said in a suspicious tone and raised an eyebrow quizzically, "Am I supposed to be feeling relief?" She grilled further more, fearing that this may be another of Dran's undesciferable mind tricks. An angry emerald fire erupted in Dran's eyes, "Sindel, this isn't a mind game I SWEAR! My powers over you have ceased!" He yelled, his ill temperament clear and imposing. So maybe there was more than one cleric in the world with a devastating temper.

"Fine! YES! Yes I AM relieved to be here!" Sindel shouted back, feeling her energy slow almost to a halt after the sudden outburst. She needed rest and quickly. "Ohhh lord," Sindel moaned as dizziness hit her, "Dran, I'm not very healthy right now..." She squeaked and doubled over; the wounds that Masoj and San-Raal had inflicted on her earlier that night were finally getting to her. Dran's expression softened and even his posture changed as though their past argument had never happened, "Will you be alright?" He asked in a gentle tone, leaning closer to Sindel, "Maybe we should continue this chat when you've fully recovered from this night's happenings." He offered. Sindel took a deep breath and nodded, "Not a bad idea." She breathed weakly and stood up straight, holding her stomach and her head in her hands.

Dran took her arm and pulled her towards the staircase on the right, "Come now," He said and hurried Sindel away, "You may stay in my chambers until you are well, there's plenty of room across the hall." He said and lead the wounded priestess up the plush staircase and into the chambers beyond.

***

"Holy mother of-owww!" Masoj yelped as he crossed another electrical pod, "Son of a-ouch! Oooh hell!" He cursed as the electrical current jolted him and bruised him under the skin. When all the other groups had departed for their own scouting, Meeks had wasted no time in commencing her trek through the shimmering bolts of energy--and had wasted no time in pulling Masoj along with her. The shock received from each pod was mild, but strong enough to feel a slightly disturbing jolt. If the currents were crossed repeatedly, the shock would eventually feel stronger; a normal occurrence. 

Meeks, of heavier build and of stronger resistance to physical pain, took the electrical jolts rather well. But Masoj, alien to bodily anguish and wearing no armor what so ever to lessen the intensity of the shocks, suffered more and more every time he would cross one of the cursed pods. The charge that the pods dealt was intervalled by a two-second delay; so the shocks came repeatedly if the person wishing to cross them didn't move on fast enough.

Watching Masoj suffer and not liking it one bit, Meeks frowned sympathetically and grabbed the wizard's hand, "Come on, just a few more left," She urged, taking note of the tormented expression in Masoj's widened, scarlet eyes, "I know you're suffering and I'm sorry for picking this place, but I know you can do this so just hang in there." She soothed. Masoj looked ahead to see just how many plates remained and there seemed to be about three, "If I die, Meeks, it's your fault." He said, his normally calm voice now trembling and hoarse. A quick nod was Meeks' response and it was hastily followed by a sharp tug on Masoj's arm that pulled the two through yet another death pod.

When all three remaining electrical fields were crossed, the warrior and wizard's path was blocked by a wall. In fact, the room containing all the pods that the two had just went through seemed to be just that; a room with pods in it, no treasure at the end, no nothing. Grief and embarrassment washed over Meeks' face and the lady exhaled loudly in disappointment, "Oh no." She breathed. She looked over at sweaty, frightened Masoj who bore a stern and despaired expression, "Damn. This is really the final insult, huh?" She commented. Masoj sneered and brought his hand to his head as a wave of dizziness claimed him, "Yes. Now that we've been here and we've seen that there's nothing to see, I hope you're happy. I'm not going back until I can see properly again, every nerve in my body is throbbing." He spat then leaned against the wall behind him and stared straight forward into the flashing, blinking electrical currents that had caused him so much pain.

A thought crossed the wizard's mind as he gazed into the glittering room, "Hey," He said in a quizzical tone and then got off the wall and looked up at the electrical plate above their heads, "This pod isn't sending any more currents. We've been here for at least thirty seconds and it hasn't relapsed yet." He commented and smirked contentedly, wondering why he hadn't noticed before. Meeks looked around her pointlessly and then smiled up at her partner, "You're right." She said simply then, "So?". 

Masoj shook his head and threw out his hands exasperatedly, "Just saying is all." He said in a low tone. Seeing as this was `a safe place' to rest, Meeks sat down and removed her backpack. She opened it up and began rummaging inside of it as though it was a bottomless pit, "I'm sure I have--oh, got it." She said as much to herself as to Masoj who sat down at her side and leaned back against the wall. The confusing warrior removed a healing potion from her bag and held it up like a trophy, "I knew I had one!" She gasped triumphantly and then turned to Masoj suddenly, "Take it and heal yourself, I don't want to stay here forever and wait until you get better." She said brightly and pushed the little glass bottle into Masoj's hands. A mocking grin crossed Masoj's lips and he held up the bottle so that Meeks could see it clearly, "Meeks...this is healing potion." He began slowly, "Healing potions heal wounds and, I don't know if you realize but," He paused and his eyes flared abruptly, "I'M NOT WOUNDED!" He finally yelled, shaking the bottle as well as his other fist, his hair flying out of place and into his eyes.

As comical as Masoj looked when he was angry, Meeks didn't dare laugh. Instead, she took the bottle from his long hand and held it to her chest, "Sorry." She said in a tiny voice, ashamed at herself for not having made the connection and for having angered Masoj, "I just thought-" She babbled but decided not to argue when Masoj covered his face with his hands and shook his head annoyedly. The healing salves were precious, and every party member had only one; it would have been a shame to waste one of them so. Without further dialogue, Meeks placed the bottle back into her bag and hugged her knees to her chest then leaned her head down on her forearms. Masoj looked over at the afflicted lady and wished he hadn't lost his temper; she was only trying to help, but he couldn't understand how absent-minded she could be sometimes...it made him so angry. He meant to touch her then, to tell her that he was sorry...but his pride wouldn't let him do it.

***

With a swift sweep of her blade, Elyxya slew the creature that jumped before her. The six-foot, olive-green preying mantis-looking thing collapsed to the ground in a heap. Gathering about the corpse, Will, Elyxya and San-Raal began to chatter, "Wow, that thing is...well-- big and ugly. What is it?" Will asked, peering into the monster's unclosed, bulbous yellow eyes. He looked back at San-Raal, thinking the wizard might have read about it before, but the dark elf shrugged non-commitedly. "It's a mantis warrior--I don't know what it's really called--but Meeks and I have always called them mantises." Elyxya said from beside San-Raal and gave the wizard a smug smile, "They come from another plane of existence, but I don't know which. I've fought them before, they're real fast and usually have poisoned daggers on them, and the leader wields a polearm." She explained to her two friends, glad to be of service. 

"Ah." Will said, nodding his understanding and wondering if the fact that Elyxya mentioned a `leader' meant that there was more mantises to come. The green beast had been waiting to pounce once Elyxya had traversed the first and only electrical pod that bordered the right turnoff. Once the mantis was cut down, the group had a good look at the room they now stood in. It was square with one gate-door directly in front of the three party members as well as a turnoff at the far right corner of the room. The mystery of the mantis now solved thanks to Elyxya, the small group headed for the gate directly ahead of them. It was quiet inside, but just in case, Elyxya's longsword drew up in anticipation, "Open it." She ordered quickly, motioning to the iron gate with her sword.

With small effort, Will pried the gate open and moved over to let Elyxya through. The red-head stepped inside and slashed her sword back and forth, fully expecting another mantis to jump out at her and stab her to death. When nothing of the sort happened, San-Raal strode past her in a huff followed by Will. The room itself was small and empty, the only thing of interest was a section of carved stone protruding from the wall to the right; the smooth stone had been carved into the three-dimensional image of a pair of lips. Knowing that if Meeks were there at the moment, the brash warrior would probably lean her backside against the carving in attempt to make people laugh, Elyxya smiled, "Okay, lips...so--what's that supposed to mean?" She asked her compatriots. 

It was San-Raal's turn to smile smugly at Elyxya, "It probably talks." He said simply, raising a thin white eyebrow as he spoke. Without further adue, he reached out to the carving and ran his finger tips over the surface, and like he had predicted, the stone lips magically animated and spoke in a monotone voice: "Of the bones, I need three. Together, they are the key." The lips said and immediately reverted to their natural, lifeless state. San-Raal spun around to face his comrades and threw out his arms triumphantly, "You heard the lips, people! It wants bones, it gets bones." He declared, getting odd looks from the others. Will stepped forward and patted San-Raal's slender shoulder, "That's great, but, we don't have any bones." He said matter-of-factly, then added, "And I'm not willing to donate the ones that are already in use...if you see what I'm saying."

"There's some downstairs in the catacombs, though." San-Raal opted, holding up a finger. Elyxya grinned, bounded forward and crushed San-Raal in her arms, "You're as smart as you are handsome!" She cried happily. San-Raal's brow furrowed and he pushed Elyxya out at arms length, "Hey!" He protested defensively, then, understanding the remark in its proper sense he added, "Oh--thanks." With a shy smile. Will shook his head at the little slipup and rushed everyone back into business, "Alright guys, if we have to down to the catacombs again, we gotta do it quick. If the rest of the team meets up at the entrance and we're not there...or if we take too long to get there...they won't be happy." He said pointedly and looked over his shoulder at the dead mantis' corpse outside the gate; unexpectedly, the corpse seemed to fade and then it disappeared altogether. Will knew this as being the normal reaction of deceased beings that didn't come from his plane of existence. 

Not quite ready to return to the catacombs yet, Elyxya spoke up quickly before it was too late, "Wait, there's another place to go before we get the bones. There's that corridor right outside the gate. If there's nothing of interest there than we can go get the bones downstairs." She blurted and saw the indecisiveness on her friends' faces almost immediately. San-Raal looked out the gate and then turned back to Elyxya, "What if we need what the lips will give us if we go into that other corridor you speak of?" He asked, running his fingers through his thick hair. Will stepped between his two pals and decided to solve the problem, "I got it, one of you go downstairs and get the bones and the other stays with me to scout the corridor, makes sense?" He opted, hoping he was making the right decision.

"Yes." San-Raal and Elyxya answered simultaneously. "I will go downstairs," San-Raal inevitably offered, getting an approving nod from Elyxya as well as from Will, "And I hope to meet both of you in this room after you have completed your scouting of the corridor." He finished. San-Raal didn't really want to try to find Elyxya and Will after getting the bones from the basement, and anyway, by making the leisurely trip to the catacombs, he had less chances of getting hurt. Will unsheathed his sword and nodded at San-Raal, "Good then." He said in a definitive tone and made his way out of the gate and into the larger room. Elyxya gave San-Raal a quick kiss, wished him luck and followed Will out of the gate.

After Elyxya and Will had disappeared into the corridor, San-Raal looked down at his spellbook and moistened his thin lips, "Alright book, it's just you and me now. Just like old times." He said and then stalked towards the flashing electrical pod that so vigilantly guarded the exit.

***

Nightshade, Izzy and Pryzma cleared their designed areas with speed. The passageway to the left side of the test entrance room was divided into a set of three different chambers. Instead of splitting up and each taking a chamber, the three women stayed together for fear of losing track of one-another. Within the first chamber, which was simple and small and had a window (which Pryzma tried to shove Izzy out of when the little thief was leaning on the sill), a few items were found; a halberd, an amulet, a scimitar and a ring.

It was decided by Nightshade that the halberd was to be left behind; the only party member who cared to use such a weapon was Meeks, and she already possessed one. The amulet was identified and adopted by Pryzma; it was triangular in shape and was made of Crystal. Pryzma discovered the jewel to be a power recipient and transmitter. The scimitar caught Izzy's eye and the thief had snatched it into her grasp hastily, then had whined and said it was too heavy for her to manoeuvre. Luckily, Nightshade and Pryzma brought up something that they had heard Elyxya talk about the day in the resurrection chamber before the fight between Sindel and the team's two drow wizards; Elyxya had always fancied a scimitar. She had said that the sword's curved blade and comfortable weight suited her hand and fighting style. Without thinking twice, and anxious to hand the weapon over to Elyxya, Nightshade and Pryzma seized the scimitar and kept it safely. Last but not least, the ring. The ring was identified by Pryzma as being a ring of sustenance, a ring that would keep its wearer from getting hungry during a crisis; this lead to the obvious decision of handing the item to Meeks, who was in dire need of such a thing (according to the entire group).

When the thrill of the first chamber subsided, the next was scouted. It was as simple as the other, with the same type of window on the far wall, and seemed to have been recently used. It smelt as though something -or someone- had used it to sleep in and stay in for a while. Empty now and of no reason wasting time for, the small cubicle was deserted by the three women. 

On approaching the final room, that drastically cut into a darkened corner once the entrance was breached, the soft yet unmistakable sound of breathing could be heard. As usual, Izzy was shoved in first, and when the girl screamed, Nightshade and Pryzma came rushing in to see what was the matter. On the floor around the corner lay a large mantis-like being that grasped its chest, green blood oozed from beneath the thing's long hand. Having never seen such a being before, Izzy yelled again, only to be brutally slapped by Nightshade. Pryzma recognized the being as a walker of another plane of existence, the same from which Illithids originated, and made an educated guess that the thing was dangerous. Moments later, the mantis creature took its last breath and its body dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind a shimmering key. The key was deposited safely in Nightshade's backpack and the three ladies returned to the meeting spot that had been designed before the party split up.

***

San-Raal's feet made no sound when he tip-toed down the Test of Faith stairs and back into the lobby of Temple Darkmoon. Fully expecting to come face-to-face with a mob of clerics, he sharply turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs and whipped a wand out of the folds of his robe. "Back off!" San-Raal yelped into the open space before him and waved the slender wand menacingly, sounding much like a kitten stuck in a tree meowing for help. When no spells came at his way in response to his pathetic threat, he darted out of the lobby, turned left and tore down the stairs to the catacombs. 

Once he reached the bottom, he paused and looked from left to right indecisively. Which way would there most likely be bones? Left? Or right? Feeling paranoid like he never had before, San-Raal pressed his back against the stone wall to his left and closed his eyes to try and summon some intelligent thought patterns. "To the right are rooms...food storage, g-guards, barrels, prisoners-" He whispered to himself then his scarlet eyes snapped open, "Prisoners, that's it! The dungeons!" He cheered, overly loud. When he'd noticed his mistake, he shrank back and covered his mouth then turned to his left and ran full speed through the set of corridors ahead. 

The nervous and fidgety dark elven wizard sped past the guards' barracks, his fingers crossed in hopes that he wouldn't disturb any of the hideously nasty fighters that served as Darkmoon's guards. He descended another short staircase that lead to the dungeons and then looked around once again. "Illusions, illusions..." He mumbled to himself, forcing his mind to remember the secret passageways that he knew were hidden in this room. With a deep breath, he turned to the right and ran across the large room towards the right wall; once he was there, he fondled the wall hastily and found the small trigger-stone that unlatched the illusion mechanism. The wall gave way and re-materialized again when San-Raal had crossed, he headed for the left wall this time and stepped right through it.

At once he found himself inside the dungeons, where, when Darkmoon was being built by his fellow drow, he had been kept prisoner for months on end. San-Raal had been taken prisoner because he refused to work and was getting others to follow him too; the clerics hadn't thought it funny at all and had swiftly dragged him down to the dungeons, saying that he wouldn't be causing any more trouble down there. A shiver crawled down San-Raal's spine as he stalked past the particular cell he had been imprisoned in and suddenly felt a great need to get back at Darkmoon for making him a slave and robbing him of his dignity for so long. He turned into a particular cell and bent to pick up a couple femurs and a skull, "You won't be needing this-" He whispered as he snatched the bleached skull from its resting place at the corner of the darkened cell. 

San-Raal found himself staring at the bones for a bit. That could have been him...it really could have. He shook his head and, silently thanking his friends up in the Test of Faith for saving him, stormed out of the prison cell and back into the hallways beyond.


	12. Chapter 11

CHAPTER XI 

Tale to Tell

Meeks and Masoj remained speechless for a series of minutes that seemed to both of them like an eternity. Not sure wether it was safe to ask Masoj if he was ready to make it back through the electrical pods, Meeks had decided to wallow in her confusion and keep her herself busy by flipping a dagger from hand to hand. "Masoj," She asked suddenly, not bothering to look over at the wizard in question, "Do you think I'm stupid?". The question had been playing in her mind since the fight with Sindel, and now Masoj's earlier reaction to her offering of the healing potion didn't help her to think any different. As far as she knew, she wasn't that bad but she wasn't a brain either; but did it really matter?

A long and uncomfortable moment passed before Masoj responded, "Meeks, please." He said sharply and frowned. Masoj knew Meeks wasn't bad, but he couldn't get himself to comprehend how...well...--stupid--she could be sometimes. "It's not that I think you're stupid, in fact I don't think that at all. The thing is, you...can be...so absent minded sometimes." He continued when Meeks didn't respond. He looked over at Meeks but the black-haired warrior didn't return his gaze, instead, she continued to fiddle with her dagger. Just as Masoj figured that Meeks wouldn't be talking to him any more, she spoke up, "So?" She snapped, her husky voice wavering now, "Does it bother you that much?" She asked, clutching the hilt of her dagger and staring at the side wall. A desperate sigh escaped Masoj's lips, "No--I-" He began, completely at a loss for words until Meeks cut him off. "Look I'm sorry if I'm not a genius alright?" She cried and threw her dagger at the side wall in frustration.

When the knife hit the wall, it fell to floor and onto one of the electrical pods; the current immediately stopped. There was a shimmer and a waver in the side wall and then the wall disappeared altogether, revealing a large room filled with about a dozen weapon-wielding mantis warriors. "OhdeargodwhathaveIdone?" Meeks gasped in a breath and reached beside her for her polearm. The front row of mantises came forward and Meeks got to her feet, a lightning bolt zapped by her and Masoj ran past her towards the oncoming thrikreen, "Wait Masoj!" Meeks screamed and tore after the dark elf. Mantises, she knew, were quick and talented and it wasn't a good idea to fight a whole group of them at once. 

Masoj disappeared amongst the army and the inability to spot him made Meeks nervous. She raced into battle with whatever mantis cared to take her on and wished Elyxya were there to dish out some battle tactics; of the two warriors, Meeks was the better fighter and Elyxya was the better strategist. The first creature went down in a gory mess and the next took its place without hesitation; this one though, had poisoned daggers. Making sure not to let the mantis' daggers even near her, Meeks dodged and weaved the ugly creature's rapid swipes. A terribly loud shrieking sound sounded from across the room and Masoj's voice said a few muffled words. Ignoring the high-pitched scream, Meeks continued hacking and slashing at the army of mantises.

When the creatures' ranks thinned, Meeks, sporting only minor wounds, jumped up to try to spot Masoj's whereabouts; unfortunately, her companion was nowhere in sight. All that could be seen, was two or three olive green mantises milling about over something at the back of the room. Faster than she could have imagined, Meek's attention was brought back to the moment at hand by a searing pain across her leg. She screamed and spun around to come face-to-face with a polearm wielding mantis warrior. 

"So you're the leader!" She yelled, doing her best to ignore the deep gash in her leg that was hot with blood. The loathsome creature emitted the high-pitched scream that Meeks had heard earlier and realized it was a scream of pleasure; she emitted a scream of her own and swung downwards with the blade of her halberd, only to be deflected by the mantis. A few more blows were exchanged, blows that harmed Meeks nor mantis, and Meeks began to get frustrated. The mantis was very skilled with the polearm, something Meeks hadn't seen in a long time! Her voice cracking, she called out for Masoj's help but there was no response; only the leader before her shrieked again. "What have you done with him?!!" She screamed at the king mantis and engaged herself in a hilt-deflection battle with him. "What have you done with him?!!" She demanded again, feeling as though the mantis' glaring eyes were mocking her, just like the hideous shriek it produced. Meeks succeeded in driving the leader back and then she spun one full turn, spinning her blade with her, and caught the mantis off-guard. She felt the satisfying feeling of her blade cutting into flesh; the rule of the king had come to an end.

Not even looking back at the corpse, which began to disappear as the others had, Meeks darted to the back of the room. The three mantises that she had spotted earlier lined up and charged simultaneously--blades first. Not sure what to do in this situation, and again wishing Elyxya was there to give her some tactics, Meeks decided to use her brain. She waited until the mantises were close enough to touch and then dropped to her belly and laid down flat, tripping all three creatures at once. Hastily, and panting, she jumped to her feet and swung her halberd in a wide arc, removing three heads as quickly and as neatly as such a task could be executed. The army now abolished, she got to her feet and looked across to the back of the room. 

Meeks' heart dropped when she saw the cause of the mantis king's triumphant shrieks; at the back of the room lay Masoj, an unmoving pile of white hair and purple robes.

***

Back at the top of the Test of Faith stairs, Nightshade bit her finger nails anxiously, "There was an awful lot of noises coming from over there," She said, her voice barely audible, "Do you suppose they're alright?" She asked and turned to Pryzma for some answers. Pryzma's hand went to the new crystal amulet about her neck, "I sure hope so Nightshade." She answered. Pryzma, Nightshade and Izzy had been staring in the direction of the electrical pod chamber directly in front of them; they had heard the mantis army, but hadn't seen it. All they had to hold onto were hopes and fears. 

Izzy was sitting on the floor, holding her knees and rocking herself back and forth, "I already saw one of my friends die, please don't let me have to see more." She prayed, closing her eyes and forcing herself to take deep breaths. Fearing she would be deeply traumatized when this whole temple raiding affair was over, Izzy hated every moment she'd lived since the beginning of this quest. She absolutely hated waking up and realizing that it wasn't all a bad nightmare.

"We should go in there and check things out." Nightshade said, desperately trying to find a way to reassure herself on her friends' well-being. Pryzma shook her head and patted her friend's arm, "Stay here, for all we know it could be worse than we think out there. And, I hate to say it but, maybe it would be useless." She said grimly and registered the horror-filled expression on Nightshade's face. "Do you mean-?" Nightshade asked, hoping Pryzma would say no. "I don't know Nightshade, but Lloth knows I hope not." She said darkly and looked on into the flashing chamber.

***

A multitude of feelings coursed through Meeks as she ran towards her collapsed friend. Strongest of all was fear; could Masoj really be dead? How happy would that witch Sindel be? What kind of chasm in Meeks' heart would such a loss leave? How would she tell the rest of the team? How many things have been left unsaid? Could Masoj be dead? Could he?

A bolt of pain shot through her torn and bloody thigh as she dropped to her knees at the fallen wizard's side and cast her polearm aside, "Masoj," She breathed and placed her hands on his small, motionless frame, "I told you to wait for me...I told you." She whispered and watched as a tear rolled off her cheek and landed amidst Masoj's disheveled hair. Beneath her hands, Masoj's body raised and fell, ever so lightly; he was breathing. "Masoj!" Meeks' cry of sheer elation was not much more than a shaky moan. With a renewed sense of responsibility, she pushed some hair out of Masoj's face and cleared her cotton-like throat, "Where is your wound?" She asked, afraid to harm the slender wizard by searching him while he was so weak.

Masoj's normally sharp, bright eyes seemed glassy now as Meeks looked into them. With much effort, the wounded drow rolled onto his back and lifted his arms to reveal two diagonal gashes from the bottom of his rib cage down to his mid-section. The deep cuts were bloody and the clear source of them was a dagger, Masoj was losing a great deal of blood. "Oh my god!" Meeks gasped and immediately covered the wounds with her hands, for all that was worth . Getting a brain storm, Meeks tore off her cloak and began to bandage Masoj's cuts, as she had seen Elyxya and Will do down in the catacombs. As she fiddled about clumsily, Masoj's voice sounded, "It's--it's no g-good," He choked, bringing his bloodied hands up to stop Meeks in her actions, "Th--the daggers w--were poisoned." He finished. 

The disgusted look on Meeks' face tore Masoj apart, "We can still fix it!" She cried, hastily continuing her bandaging. "No...no--don't you see? The p--poison is taking effect." Masoj explained, futily pushing Meeks' hands away from his mid-section; he just didn't quite know how to tell her that her efforts were useless, he would be dead in a matter of time. Witlin moments, hot tears streaked Meeks' cheeks, "NO!" She screeched and tied the last bit of her make-shift bandage, "I don't want you to die." She moaned, bdnt down then pressed her cheek to Masoj's, "I don't want you to go." She repeated with a gentle sob. She prayed for the gods to take her too as she felt Masoj's hand at the back of her head.

"I shouldn't have brought you here," Meeks rambled, burying her face against the young drow's cheek, "It was so stupid...I was so stupid." She said, sincerely wishing she hadn't decided to come through the electrical pods. Maybe Sindel was right, maybe she was an imbecile, and maybe she didn't deserve someone as smart as Masoj. Quickly enough, Meeks' dismal thoughts came to a crashing end when Masoj's hands came up and held her face inches away from his, " No! Listen t-to me, Meeks," Masoj said and somewhere behind the glassy shield that the poison had created in his eyes, Meeks saw truthfulness, "Y-you're not s-stupid." He said sharply and then swallowed and drew in a breath, his health quickly--and clearly-- worsening, "The only r-reason I get frus...trated by your judgement is be-because I don't want y-you getting hurt." He continued.

Meeks' jaw remained agape, in shock as much as in need of air, long after Masoj's next words. Masoj pulled Meeks' face down to his until they were at kissing distance, "I-I love you, M-Meeks." He whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. Meeks couldn't believe this was happening; the only man she had ever loved, and that had ever loved her back, had just revealed his feelings and now he as going to die, "Oh me too, Masoj" She said and her tears never stopped flowing, of course now, she wasn't sure if they were out of sadness or happiness or both. Masoj's kiss was weak but still genuine, and Meeks had no way to respond to this tragedy but to excuse herself for all her `mistakes', "I'm sooo sorry for being stubborn with you and-and for not helping you when you were fighting Sindel and-and-and for the thing about the healing potion-" She paused for a moment in her line of confessions and seemed to be thinking of something; her concerned expression alarmed Masoj.

Suddenly, as if she'd been telepathically notified by the gods that there was a detonator in her backpack, Meeks threw her packsack to the ground at Masoj's side and began rummaging through it, all the while frowning apprehensively. "Potion!" Meeks cried triumphantly, tearing the little blue bottle of healing potion from her bag and holding it up like a trophy. Her eyes all ashimmer with hope and pride, she removed the small stopper and smiled at Masoj, "Now you're wounded! I'm using this and I don't care what you say! If this isn't a good time to use it than I don't know what is!" She declared. The liquid inside the glass bottle would heal anything, from poison to disease, it was a real treasure. Meeks couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before, she figured it was because everything had happened so suddenly...

A thin smile crossed Masoj's lips and god knows it would have been a grin if he would have had the strength, "B-brilliant Meeks," He said softly, "You s-see? Y-you're perfectly-" He began to cough and little droplets of blood spattered from his mouth, "H-hurry p-please." He pleaded, well aware that the fast-acting poison had reached some vital organs and that he didn't have very much time left. Meeks nodded quickly and brought the vial of potion down to Masoj's lips, then retracted it quickly, immersing poor Masoj in complete confusion, "Do you just drink it? Or do I have to put it on your wounds?" Meeks asked, panicking a little (ahem--a lot). Masoj swallowed thickly, disbelieving Meeks' horrible timing for this kind of behavior, "Both!" He said empathetically then coughed up more blood, "D-drink first-" He managed, his glassy eyes filled with a horror and fear that was alien to the warrior kneeling at his side. Meeks returned the vial to Masoj's lips and brought her hand around to the back of his head to aid him in drinking the blessed liquid.

Masoj coughed and pushed the bottle away, "Now the w-wounds!" He ordered, a good thing too because Meeks had nearly forgotten that the elixir had to be shared, she was too enthralled and relieved at seeing Masoj drink his health back. Hastily, Meeks removed the make-shift bandages she'd created and opened Masoj's blood-stained robes until she reached his mid-section; she then poured some of the blue-colored healing potion into her palm and rubbed her hand across each deep gash. Masoj flinched and wriggled at the stinging pain that the liquid generated, but knew very well that it was all for the better. 

When the bottle was empty, Meeks felt relieved and somewhat proud, "You're okay now." She said confidently, hoping the potion would begin to work in short time. She looked over at Masoj and the wizard was smiling, the frightening glassiness in his eyes had gone, "Thank you, Meeks." He said in a low tone and Meeks knew he meant it, "You actually saved my life." He added, the words made him sound incredulous but something inside of him told him that he knew all along that it would happen. Meeks scooted closer and took Masoj's long hand in hers, "So, I guess this pays you back for that time in the catacombs when you said I owed you one, huh?" She commented with a smug smile, recalling the particular event as though it had happened the day before. Masoj's smile grew wider then, and although it was too painful to laugh, he gave off the right idea, "Yes, it most certainly does." He acknowledged, speaking with more stability now, "I think the poison is gone." He declared when the burning feeling his insides were feeling earlier disappeared as surely as it had begun. Meeks nodded and looked down at the drow' s belly, the previously deep and bloody wounds were already beginning to close up, "I'm so glad you're alright." She uttered with a sigh, "It would have been quite a loss." She concluded and turned back to look into Masoj's smiling face. 

"That's a compliment if I've ever heard one," Masoj said and then sat up cautiously when the last of his cuts were healed, "You should quit killing and start healing, Meeks." He joked and chuckled, then grimaced as he realized that his wounds might be healed from the outside, but they were still painful on the inside. A horrified glare was shot in Masoj's direction, "Uck, no." Meeks said disgustedly, seeing herself in a clerical robe...tripping over her feet, over the stairs, over the robes... 

Meeks surveyed the room and then looked Masoj up and down, he looked as though he'd never been hurt--except for the blood on his robes and hands, of course. Indescribably happy to see him well again, and proud that she as the one who helped him get that way, Meeks threw her arms around Masoj's neck and brought her mouth down on his in a possessive and passionate embrace.

***

Nervous yet bearing a self-satisfied smile, San-Raal returned from the catacombs and back to the Test of Faith. He'd dropped the bones he was carrying twice over, dodging clerics wasn't an easy task...and neither was keeping a good grip when suffering an electrical charge. San-Raal expected to be alone when he arrived back inside the room with the magical lips, but he was greeted by a surprise. Elyxya and Will were inside the room and waiting for San-Raal to return with the bones, things hadn't went so well on their end.

"Geez!" San-Raal gasped as he entered the little chamber and nearly dropped the bones a third time, he hadn't expected to see his friends there at all. "Hello to you too." Elyxya answered curtly and waved. With a disapproving shake of his head, San-Raal swept past Elyxya and placed himself before the stone mouth, "I got the bones," He said uselessly, "So what are you two doing here?". He touched the carving as he had before and, with a slight grinding noise, the lips parted to reveal a dark opening. 

Elyxya and Will watched curiously as San-Raal dumped the bones into the chasm, "We ran into some--difficulties." Will said to answer San-Raal's earlier question, "We found what looks to be a mantis nest, but the area is sealed off by a heavy gate. Elyxya and I tried to break through it, but our efforts were futile." He explained. As Will finished his words, a bright flash of light emanated from the parted stone lips, causing San-Raal to cover his eyes. When the light died down, a small, ivory key with a golden ring attached to it lay in San-Raal's open hands. Before the mage could say anything haughty, the magical lips' monotone voice sounded, "For I am no longer hungry, I reward yee with the key." The voice declared and soon after the mouth closed and its magic ceased. 

A wide smile crossed San-Raal's lean face as he turned to face Will and Elyxya, "So Will, this gate you speak of...was it--by any chance--locked?" He asked contemptuously, holding up the bone-key that he so rightfully acquired. Anyone with half a brain could figure out what was going on in the wizard's mind at the moment; San-Raal loved giving answers were there were none, and loved even more proving to people that he was right. Will nodded slowly, "Yes, yes it was." He said and San-Raal's smile grew wider, the drow's pride swelling quite visibly, "But you see, San-Raal, that key won't fit the lock." Will finished quaintly with a satisfied smile. 

Any pride San-Raal could have felt earlier was cruelly extracted from his soul; his smile dropped and his face grew hot, "Oh." He murmured, pursing his lips and avoiding his friends' gazes. There as a moment of silence, in recognition of San-Raal's complete embarrassment, and then the stubborn mage spoke again, "Are you sure it won't fit? I mean...how can you be sure?" He stammered and clutched the bone-key firmly in his hand. Will shook his head and shrugged, "Look alright, that...key...of yours," He began, frowning at the odd thing in San-Raal's hand that actually bore no resemblance at all to a key, "isn't going to do the trick. The lock was green and the key hole was ordinary, not weird and screwy like that." He said and pointed at the bone-key for finality in his statement. A resolute attitude took San-Raal at this point and he clenched his fists at his sides, "But...how...I mean, you just-" He stuttered, motioning desperately at Will with his hand. 

Elyxya came forward and looked San-Raal in the eye, "It's over hun. Just give up, kay? You lost this one." She soothed then reached out and stroked his hair. The animosity and perseverance in San-Raal took one last stand in a helpless whimper and then the defeated wizard dropped his head, "I know." He uttered, receiving a pat from Elyxya. "We've no choice, we have to go back to the meeting place and wait for the others." Elyxya said then, and exited the chamber followed by a glorified Will and a subdued San-Raal. 

When they made it back to the meeting place, Nightshade, Izzy and Pryzma greeted them. Although Elyxya, Will and San-Raal were in a fairly good mood, Pryzma and her crew didn't seem too happy. In fact, the three ladies were staring out into the electrical pod chamber that Meeks and Masoj had decided to go through and bore rather concerned expressions. "What's going on, Pryzma?" San-Raal asked the little drow lady who seemed immersed in thought. Pryzma's lips tightened and she turned to look at her interrogator, "The thing is, I'm not too sure what's going on." She said slowly and fingered the new amulet about her neck, "Meeks and Masoj...they went through the pods out there and then there was an awful lot of commotion going on. I -we- didn't get to see anything though." She explained as best she could to her perplexed teammates. San-Raal frowned and Elyxya pushed past him, "What do you mean `commotion'? Fighting? Meeks and Masoj were fighting?" She assumed with an overly expressive set of gestures that made her look like a circus act.

Pryzma shrugged and then shook her head, "No..no, not Meeks and Masoj! There were too many sounds to be only two people fighting, I think something happened like...they found a passageway or something. I swear I heard weaponry, so maybe they met up with some guards or something." She opted. Elyxya wasn't satisfied, "Guards? In the Test of Faith? I don't think so." She debated, sincerely hoping it was only guards. If a bunch of guards had in fact attacked Meeks and Masoj, Elyxya thought to herself as the others fell silent and cast inquisitive glances at the flashing pods, they'd be more than capable to hold them off. Meeks' might and Masoj's magic made a powerful combination, they couldn't have been overpowered...unless there were too many opponents to handle and things got out of hand. 

"I don't hear anything now." Will spoke for the first time in the conversation, bringing up a very real fact. At the sound of the cleric's words, Nightshade burst out in sobs, "I know!" She bawled, "That's what scares me the most!" She wiped at her tears and then shivered in internal shiver. Pryzma moved to comfort her pal and Izzy tagged along, her face a tired mess. With a mystery on their hands, the regrouped teammates felt as though they were being manipulated by fate. "I'm positive they're alright." San-Raal attempted, coming up behind Elyxya and placing his hands on her shoulders, "I've seen Meeks fight, she's pretty damn good. And Masoj'll take care of himself..." He looked at every member in turn and Elyxya turned her head to look up at him, "...and anyway, Masoj'd never let anything happen to Meeks if he can be there to stop it." The drow added optimistically, well aware of his friend Masoj's affections for the brash and quirky Meeks. 

That did it, Elyxya couldn't stand not knowing if her best friend and Masoj were alive or not. Everything was too unsure and murky, there had to be a way to find out! She tore away from San-Raal and ran to the edge of the electrical pods, "I'm going to see what's what!" She cried determinedly and focused on the flashing lights, ready to run full speed at any time. "Me too!" She heard Nightshade cry and the tall thief was at her side in a matter of seconds, breathing heavily with tear-stained cheeks. Strong arms grasped both Elyxya and Nightshade from behind and pulled them away from the pods, "No! I won't have you two going in there like imbeciles! You both have no idea what could be awaiting you back there...and I don't want anyone putting themselves in jeopardy." Will grilled the two women sternly and tugged them by the arms back to the group. He let go of Nightshade and gave her back to Pryzma and Izzy; he kept the volatile Elyxya firmly in his grip, fearing she would fight back and run away.

Elyxya's response was an animal-like snarl, "So we just sit here and wait?" She spat and crossed her arms over her chest negatively. She just couldn't believe that she wasn't going to take on the pods and seek out her teammates. Will's brown eyes were implacable, "Yes." He said sharply and let go of Elyxya, `placing' her against San-Raal who immediately grasped her shoulders and held her firmly in place. Silence fell once again and deep inside, everyone even Elyxya, knew that Will's orders were justified and right.

***

"Oh my." Meeks breathed and bent to pick up the fearsome-looking sword that shimmered at her feet. She grasped the hilt and held the blade up to her eyes; instead of being straight like an ordinary blade, the edges were undulated. Meeks was delighted, "Masoj! Come here!" She called to her fellow mage who had disappeared into another short hallway not far from where she stood. After Masoj had fully healed and done up his robes, the room where the battle with the mantis army had taken place was examined. At the back of the room, to the right, was another room that cut off into three dead-end corridors each about fifteen feet in length. Meeks had went into the far left one and Masoj had taken the middle one.

"No! You come here!" Came Masoj's voice from the neighboring hallway. Meeks shrugged non-commitedly, grabbed the odd sword and walked out of her corridor and into the one where Masoj stood. The drow was looking at the wall to Meeks' right, two niches in the wall were all that Meeks could see, "What? What's so important that you can't come look at what I found?" Meeks asked, a little disappointment hidden in her words. She walked up beside Masoj and he looked over at her with a glint in his eye, "Look, Meeks, it's a generator." He said happily. A blank stare came in response to Masoj's declaration, "W-what does it generate?" Meeks asked and raised an eyebrow quizzically, in the manner that Masoj had done so many times before when he wasn't clear on a subject. "I don't know." Masoj said and then realized that Meeks was holding a sinister-looking sword in her hand that wasn't hers, "What's that?" He asked and raised an eyebrow, much as Meeks had imitated him earlier.

Meeks chuckled at the eyebrow thing, Masoj just couldn't help himself. "Well duh." She cried and brought the sword right up to the wizard's face, "It's a sword. And I found it over there." She said proudly and threw her thumb at the wall behind her. Masoj pushed the weapon away from his face with a bloody hand and shot Meeks a stupefied glance, "I gathered that, love." He snapped, using Meeks' new `nickname', "What I mean is, what's special about it? Besides the nasty look of it, of course." He added and eyed the undulated blade apprehensively. "I dunno." Meeks uttered and then made a dismissive gesture with her hand, "So, what about this generator of yours?" She asked, changing the subject lightly.

Masoj's gaze returned to the two niches in the wall before him, "To work this, you just put something in one niche and the item that is generated appears in the other. Simple, no?" He explained with a twitch of his sharp nose. Meeks nodded her approval and threw her backpack off of her shoulders, "I'll find something to trade." She volunteered and dug her hands into her bag. Masoj watched patiently (amazing) until Meeks pulled out a leather ribbon that would have served to tie her hair back in a pony tail, "Will this do?" Meeks asked brightly and held the ribbon up to her teammate. "Do you need it?" Masoj asked cautiously, not wanting to rob Meeks of something she could eventually be in need of . Meeks' hand went to the back of her head, "No. I've already got one." She answered and wiggled her ponytail to emphasize her point. A reserved smile crossed Masoj's thin lips, "Alright then. Let's give this thing a try." He declared and carefully placed the leather ribbon inside the right-hand niche.

Soundlessly, the procedure was made and when the ribbon disappeared in the right-hand niche, a slender wand appeared in the left-hand niche. Masoj took the wand and held it out for Meeks to see, "Not a bad deal, hmm?" He purred calmly but reveled silently in the great finding. Meeks frowned at Masoj's bloody hands and couldn't wait until she saw Will again so that he could create water and wash Masoj off, "Brilliant. It's a wand of what, though?" She asked curiously, hoping the drow would say it was a wand of teleportation so that she could go home or at least find the others of the group. 

After handing Meeks the wand, Masoj opened his ever-present spellbook and flipped through a multitude of pages, "Hold on a moment and we'll find out." He uttered and Meeks watched his crimson eyes scan each page quickly. A moment later, a slender ebony finger sporting a long and pointed fingernail ticked a paragraph on a yellowed page, "Found it." Masoj said and removed his finger from the book. Meeks watched in utter fascination as Masoj took the wand from her hand recited a series of words from his book in a language that Meeks had never heard of. The thin wand emanated a soft blue light and then the light vanished altogether. "Wand of fireball." Masoj said and closed his book with a snap. He looked at the little item for a moment and then tucked it safely away in the folds of his purple robe.

Soon after, the two ventured into the next corridor (the far right one) and found a lever. As most people would, they pulled the lever. Nothing happened. With a resigned shrug and a profound need to see their teammates again, they exited the room and made their way back to the electrical pods. To their amazement, a clear path of de-activated pods lead the way back to safe ground; they figured that it was the lever's fault. Their hearts thumping in their chests, Meeks and Masoj tore though the path and arrived safely at the team's original meeting spot where, to their pleasant surprise, everyone was regrouped.

The people waiting at the meeting spot saw their teammates coming through the de-activated pods and uttered cries of relief and joy. Elyxya was the first to react, throwing herself onto Meeks and crushing her with her arms. Next was San-Raal who gave Masoj a friendly hug and an encouraging word. Once again, Nightshade erupted into sobs, but this time they were joyful. Will's hands came up in thanks and his smile radiated his relief. Pryzma clapped her hands and patted Meeks' back in admiration. Seeing Nightshade hug Masoj and kiss him on the forehead, Izzy bounded forward and attempted to do the same; unfortunately, Masoj wasn't drugged with happiness enough to let the gentle thief do so.

With dusk settling in outside Temple Darkmoon, Meeks and Masoj told their story while their party listened intently. Will created dinner, and Masoj's bloody hands and belly were washed clean, just as Meeks had hoped. The scimitar that Nightshade and Pryzma had found was given to Elyxya, who immediately adopted it with sparkling eyes and endless thanks. Pryzma's ring of sustenance was also given as a gift, to Meeks, who took offense at first and then figured it was nice of them to care about her stomach being full. The sinister sword that Meeks found was temporarily taken by Pryzma, who claimed it was magical. San-Raal's brave adventures in the catacombs was related to the group by San-Raal himself, the story bringing laughter here and there. Will and Elyxya told the group of the mantis nest they saw that was locked behind gates, saying that they needed a key to have access to it; Nightshade brought up the dying mantis warrior she had seen during her adventures and also the key that the creature had left behind. The bright green key, Elyxya and Will swore, was the one that corresponded with the lock near the mantis nest. Unhappily, San-Raal showed the group the bone-key he had acquired by fetching bones down in the catacombs and declared that he had no idea what lock it corresponded to.

With the day's events said and done, the group retreated to the area that Nightshade, Pryzma and Izzy had cleared out earlier. The team split up and settled within one of the three rooms; Pryzma, Nightshade and Izzy in the room where they'd found the halberd and the scimitar; Meeks, Masoj, Elyxya and San-Raal in the room that looked to have once served as living quarters for someone; and Will inside the room where the dying mantis had been found, the smallest room. 

Although the rest of the team was comfortable for the evening, Will felt well...loneliness. His mind drifted to Sindel and he wondered what she was up to. Even though Sindel's presence was pure hell, Will found it lonely to be the only cleric in the party; and even lonelier to have no one to talk to, no matter how mean, before going to sleep. Ultimately, his thoughts reverted back to the night before's events and he contemplated how much he hated what Sindel had done to the members of his team. His corrupt side hoped Sindel had been exposed an imposter by the clerics of Darkmoon and killed, but his soft side wished she would come back to help him keep the team in line (even if she was the one puting the team out of line most of the time). 

Where did she go? What did she do? These questions haunted Will during the evening, but later that night others popped into his mind. Could Sindel have went to Dran? Could she have accepted the high-priest's offer and become his high-priestess? Could she have turned against the party? For good? 

Could she? 


	13. Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII 

Shift in the atmosphere

"So you mean to tell me that you put me up to this whole thing?" Sindel asked skeptically and shifted in her overstuffed chair. Dran sat across from her and extended his open hands in response, "That's what I said yesterday evening, isn't it?" He said matter-of-factly, all the while examining Sindel's disbelieving facial expression. The night before, when Sindel had come running with wounds to spare, Dran had offered the high-priestess a place to rest. She had stayed in the chambers across the hall from where Dran resided; a luxurious suite with plush carpets, wonderfully carved furniture, lots of space and a spectacular view of the Waterdeep's confusing forest. Although Dran had offered to help Sindel with her multiple wounds, the stubborn priestess insisted on healing her own cuts and burns. The next morning, after a good night's sleep and a simple breakfast served by Dran's right-hand man, Sindel sat down with her host to discuss the previous night's disturbing string of events.

An undeniable look of frustration squirmed its way into Sindel's icy blue eyes, "No!" She yelled, still unable to retain her temper, "You don't understand! I hate Masoj and San-Raal, what I did I did because I wanted to." She banged her fist on the arm rest of the chair and then flexed her hand from the sudden shock. She couldn't get herself to believe Dran about the mind manipulating incident, it just didn't make sense. She hated the drow wizards from the moment she met them and the fight that had happened the night before was imminent; Dran simply had nothing to do with it. Dran's hand went to his forehead, "Sindel, I've explained this before. The fight felt right to you because it went in agreement with your true feelings, the only thing I did was to make those feelings a little stronger." He explained patiently, knowing that two enraged and ill-tempered clerics would get nowhere in this conversation.

"And you did all of this to bring me here?" She said, not in disgust but in confusion. She cast another glance about the richly-decorated room and figured it was fit to meet her standards. Dran nodded slowly, "I don't want you to take part in the destruction of my temple, is that not clear enough? Let your foolish teammates have their moment, they never wanted you around anyway." He said, the words causing Sindel to turn away haughtily, "You, of all people, were the last person I expected to see as a part of Khelben's death squad. You hated him and he hated you, what was he thinking asking you to do favors for him?!". The disgusted look on the high-priest's face was crystal-clear; his normally calm and rather mysterious way of speech had abruptly yielded to his quick temperament.

Sindel couldn't disagree with Dran's logic; both she and Khelben had been at odds during the time where her presence among the raiding party had been requested. If it had been up to her, she would never have chosen to call on one of her enemies for a mission of the sort. Unless of course, Khelben had done it on purpose, "Maybe Khelben asked me to go because he wanted to anger you by sending someone whom you knew and had spoken to hencewise to take down your temple...like some kind of sick irony." She commented suddenly, coming out of her thoughts and looking over at Dran for a second opinion. The clerical overlord wasn't quick to reply, he expected as much from Khelben and maybe even more, "Or maybe he wants to rid himself of you too." He said after a moment of silence then registered the confused expression painted on Sindel's face, "Its easy enough to understand, Sindel. Who knows if Khelben believes that the mission that you and your team are on will be a success. Perhaps he didn't expect you to return at all." He explained with a casual shrug of his wide shoulders.

That didn't satisfy Sindel one bit, "Than why would he have bothered to gather the best warriors, clerics, thieves and mages he could find? He went all the way to the Underdark for god sakes! And anyway, why would he send away a whole group of perfectly adept people to get killed? It just doesn't make sense, Dran." She protested, shaking her golden locks and steeling a glance out the small window to her side. She knew she was right, but still the mystery of why exactly she was asked to join the party remained. "No, I really think Khelben wants to tear this place down. The raiding party isn't a dupe, it's a real attempt." She concluded, still staring out the window when Dran didn't respond. Outside, the morning promised the day to be warm and generally nice; there was a complete shortage of life around the reclusive temple though, and although that was a normal occurrence for the temple's peculiar location, it never ceased making Sindel a little nervous. Suddenly, she wondered how her party was doing.

Dran remained quiet for a bit of time and watched Sindel peer out the window. How uneasy she seemed, sitting as straight as a rod in her chair with her hands clamped tightly onto the arm rests, it was as though she expected the sky to fall down on her. Dran wondered if it was his fault and frowned; Sindel had to believe him when he said he was on her side, "I suppose you are right about Khelben, I did carry it a bit too far." He said finally. Sindel turned to look at him again but her eyes hid something, "Dran, are you afraid?" She asked sharply. Dran drew back in surprise and shook his head, "What do you mean? Of you?" He asked, his emerald eyes going wide. A cocky smile smoothed Sindel's full lips, "No, not of me silly...of my team." She said, "Of my ex-team." She then corrected pointedly with a reserved sneer. She waited for a moment as Dran seemed to think of the best response.

Sindel's use of the word `ex' struck a cord in Dran's mind; had she really deserted the raiding party on the count of Masoj Hun'ett and San-Raal Dragonsphere? Or was she planning to go back? Another, more prominent question pried at Dran's head; would she fight against her team to help keep Darkmoon alive? The sound of Sindel's finger nails tapping on the wooden arm rest of her chair pulled the high-priest from his thoughts, "In a way, yes. I'm afraid because I can't get to your party to tell them that I have no intention to harm them. Even I tried, I'm afraid they would only get confused and think I am playing mind games with them." He began to answer Sindel's question and the priestess cut him off, "Like you did with me?" She added slyly, getting a wicked stare from Dran. "And further more, the fact that I can't reach them frightens me because then they will continue to ravage Darkmoon! I've been watching them from the moment of their arrival and I've known their purpose ever since. Everything they've --and you've-- encountered has been part of my attempts to stop the destruction of my temple." Dran continued frantically, desperation showing on his face. He swallowed thickly and hoped he was getting through to Sindel.

A cool breeze floated into the room and Sindel found it appeasing, "I've tried to tell them, Dran. I've tried to tell them what you told me about Khelben and they did exactly as you expected, they became confused. And then Will," She paused to frown deeply, "proclaimed that you were brainwashing me and he got everyone to follow him in the annihilation of your temple." She explained with a sigh, "With Will around you can be sure that the raiding party is coming your way." She tucked her legs beneath her and yawned sleepily, then it hit her for the first time; she wasn't out there fighting away at a horde of monsters and clerics, busting her butt healing bloody wounds and yelling at her team to get in gear. Instead, she was sitting in a luxurious room, with someone she could actually talk to, no weaponry on her in the least, and all the time in the world to sit back and relax in a clerical environment she knew so well. Now she knew the relief that Dran had asked her about the night before when she had almost fainted, now she knew what he was talking about.

Confidence is what Dran felt when he saw Sindel getting comfortable in her chair, "I appreciate your efforts with your stubborn teammates, I assure you." He spoke lightly and shook his head in the hopelessness of the whole situation, "But how will they realize that I'm not the enemy?" He asked. Sindel leaned her elbow on the arm rest of her chair and put her chin in her palm, "I don't know...I really don't know." She breathed and watched in amusement as Dran mimicked her posture, "I guess we'll have to wait and see. Where are they now?" She asked off-handedly, curious to know what progress the team had made without her presence. A loose smile crossed Dran's face, "The Test of Faith. They're going to pass it and get proper admittance into Darkmoon's upper chambers." He said somberly, a hint of hopelessness in his voice.

"Test of Faith?" Sindel asked confusedly. She had left the party the night before they had entered the Test and didn't know what Dran was talking about. "It's a test I make my clergy pass before they are admitted within Darkmoon as true members of the cloth. When it is passed successfully, the cleric may work within the spires of the temple, where we are now and a few floors below us." Dran elaborated and flicked back a strand of his brown hair. The explanation pleased Sindel, "Oh. But if they pass the Test, that's not going to be a good thing. They'll be closer to taking you down, won't they?" She commented quickly.

Unexpectedly startling to Sindel, Dran burst into sobs of laughter and his green eyes seemed to flare, "What are you worrying about?!" He managed when most of his hysteria had gone by, "You and your team will be heroes!" He cried, throwing his arms out to show grandeur, "You will have rid the Waterdeep of Temple Darkmoon and its oh-so-evil high-priest Dran Draggore!" He added, his voice dripping with sarcasm -and a bit of animosity, Sindel noted. Fighting futily to hold back a chuckle, Sindel spoke up amidst her host's sudden outburst, "What are you talking about? Maybe my team will be heroes, but not me!" She leaned out of the side of her chair to get Dran's attention back.

"What do you mean?" Dran uttered suddenly, his sarcastic glory coming to an abrupt end. It was Sindel's eyes' turn to flare, "I won't be a hero, Dran." She said with a devious smile that seemed to make time stand still, "I'll defend Darkmoon here with you...as your high-priestess," She declared, "as Darkmoon's high-priestess!" She cried, her voice raising with delight and greed altogether. Dran's sly smile mirrored Sindel's, "Brilliant then!" He said, his voice sounding like a hiss through his barely-moving lips. He was thrilled that Sindel had finally accepted his earlier offer of the post of high-priestess of Darkmoon; she would prove very useful, and she was incredibly powerful too! What a great day it had proved to be for Dran, and as he looked at the determined expression on Sindel's face, he gathered it had been equally fruitful for her.

"And don't worry, Sindel." Dran said darkly after a moment, "The closer your team gets to me, -to us- , the harder they will find it to execute their task." He steepled his fingers and flashed his high-priestess a wicked smile.

***

The bright green lock made a subtle clicking noise when Nightshade inserted the key into it. The area was deathly calm and the entire party was silently getting ready for battle. Once the key was inserted, it disappeared and the iron gate ahead of the party creaked open to reveal a fair-sized dark room. Nightshade ran to the back of the party and drew her sword as, beside her, Pryzma flipped through her spellbook. At the head of the group, Will cleared his throat, "This is the mantis nest Elyxya and I were talking about," He whispered back to his crew, "I don't know if there are any adults, but if not, this'll be an easy killing." He stated quite truthfully. Will and Elyxya had taken the party back to the gate they had found earlier and with the help of Nightshade's key, the mantis nest was no longer a mystery. 

"I see something shining over there." Pryzma declared quietly from the back, pointing out to the back of the room that lay gloomily silent ahead of them. As the rest of the group narrowed their eyes to catch a glimpse of this `shining object', Meeks' voice cried out overly loud, ruining the party's stealthy silence, "I'll get it!" And within the blink of an eye, the polearm-wielding warrior had disappeared into the mantis nest. Following Elyxya who was the first to react, the dumbfounded group tore into the darkness before them. So much for the element of surprise!

Meeks was indeed at the back of the room, reaching out to grasp an emerald gem that was safely implanted within an eye-shaped niche. "Its dark and scary!" Izzy whimpered from somewhere in the back, once again her comment was ignored. "Got it!" Meeks said happily and took the shimmering gem into her hand, then she jumped back in surprise as it exploded into a thousand streams of eerie green light. The light filled the room and the party got a glimpse of what surrounded them; on the floor along the left and right wall were two twin rows of about five mantis eggs. Each egg was about waist-high and rounded, green goo covered their surface and seeped onto the floor.

"Oh, crap." Meeks chuckled uneasily as the ten eggs began to pulsate and wobble. She remained staring at the gruesome sight until Elyxya's voice yelled, "Meeks, you idiot!" And the eggs began to break open. The light that the gem had created had woken the young mantises and they probably wouldn't be happy to have been disturbed. "I'm so sorry!" Meeks yelled back at her party and the blade of her halberd came up as the egg closest to her broke open. To her surprise, a full-grown mantis leaped from the egg and chirped its high-pitched chirp; she swung at the thing's head and wondered how such a tall creature could fit inside the three-foot egg. "Everybody take a mantis!" Elyxya's voice yelled as the nine remaining eggs shattered apart, "They're unarmed!".

The group charged forward and scattered. Magic tore at each corner of the room and excited screams came from the sword-wielders. Although the mantises weren't armed, they were still quick and tough to get at. And worse yet, they moved about constantly! Elyxya found herself smiling at the thought that the king mantis and his army of armed mantises had already been defeated by Meeks and Masoj, what a relief! She watched as the mantis before her dodged and ducked her blows and waited for an opening. When the thrikreen didn't give, Elyxya decided to get rough; she threw herself at the mantis and knocked it off its feet, then plunged the curved blade of her new scimitar right through its chest. "Nothing like the direct approach." She mumbled contentedly to herself, pulling herself off the dead creature and brushing off her chain shirt.

San-Raal, Masoj, Nightshade and Pryzma gathered the four mantises they were battling and cornered them at the back of the room. All four teammates, even Nightshade who was using her magic for the first time since the beginning of the quest, simultaneously launched magical attacks; death spell, finger of death, lightning bolt, and power word kill. Four mantises fell to their sudden deaths and four invigorated mages smiled proudly at one another. "Lightning didn't really fit the picture," Nightshade, the lightning bolt's caster, said a little disappointedly, "but I'm not quite as good as you three." She finished with a casual shrug. Pryzma patted her friend's back as Masoj and San-Raal looked on with wide grins, "The bolt was good, Nightshade. You fried the mantis...that was the object of the spell." She said with a nod. Nightshade smiled smugly and looked over at Masoj and San-Raal; the two wizards gave her a wink.

Near the gate at the other end of the room, things weren't going so well for Izzy. The little thief was squaring off against two mantises, and even though she was the one with the weapon, she didn't feel she had the advantage. "Go away! Shoo!" She screeched at the top of her lungs and swung her short sword wildly without aim. The mantises responded to her screaming with shrieks of their own, only deafening the poor little lady. The mantis on her right succeeded at batting away her sword, leaving Izzy completely helpless. "Elyxya! Will! Masoj! San-Raal! Meeks!" She screeched again as the mantis that had batted away her sword picked up the weapon, "Help me!" She broke out in cold sweat when the thrikreen thrust the sword at her. She backed up, and just as Meeks and Elyxya ran in to help her, she fell into the other mantis' arms. The creature picked her up and, with amazing strength, threw her over it's shoulder and ran from the room with her. Elyxya screamed at the mantis and then followed as Meeks ran after the creature. 

Back in the room, the rest of the mantises were being finished off and their bodies were already dissipating into nothingness. The scene with Izzy being carried away by a mantis warrior was viewed by the entire team; and while Pryzma and Nightshade laughed themselves hysterical, the rest of the team tore after the escaped creature.

The renegade mantis ran at a very high speed and succeeded in losing Meeks and Elyxya when turned the corner that lead to the `stone lips' room. "He can't go far!" Elyxya yelled at her friend who was running ahead of her, "We'll catch him in the electrical pod chamber! He can't run for long!" She added and looked back in haste to see the rest of the team on her heels. Meeks turned the corner that the mantis had turned a second ago and stormed back to the top of the Test of Faith stairs, the team's old meeting spot, wondering why on earth the mantis had taken Izzy. "Shit." She cursed as she realized she'd lost the mantis. She slammed the butt of her halberd down and looked around for a possible route when Elyxya appeared at her side with an excited expression on her motherly face, "I'll check the rooms we slept in last night, maybe it's hiding from us!" She declared and ran past Meeks to examine the rooms to the left. 

The rest of the team came running in then, panting and confused. Meeks didn't wait for anyone to ask her questions she wouldn't be able to answer, "I'm going to check the electrical pod room." She said quickly and disappeared into the path of de-activated pods. The team was left alone for a moment, and then Elyxya re-appeared from the left chambers, "The mantis is gone." She said and threw out her hands desperately, looking at her gawking team. "And so is Izzy." Will commented sourly from beside San-Raal and Masoj. He closed his eyes and couldn't believe what had just happened; how many people get kidnaped by mantis warriors? For the love of god! A thought popped into San-Raal's mind then and he pointed to Elyxya, "Elyxya, didn't you say that the mantises are creatures from another plane of existence?" He asked, his eyes shimmering with excitement. Elyxya frowned, "Yes." She said quickly, not sure where this was going. San-Raal ran a slender hand threw his thick white mane, "The mantis has probably taken Izzy to its plane then." He figured with a smirk. The group fell silent at the proposal, and Elyxya shook her head, "What for?" She asked the wizard, not getting his sense. 

San-Raal meant to answer but there was an interruption. "Gone!" Meeks called grimly as she reappeared from the pods and joined her crew, "No mantises, whatsoever." She repeated bluntly. Elyxya scowled at her friend, "San-Raal says that the mantis took Izzy back to its original plane of existence. It just took her and brought her there." She resumed before Meeks asked questions. Meeks looked over at San-Raal and he nodded, "That's what I said. And to answer your question Elyxya, he probably took her there as a slave of some sort. Maybe something else, but I've no clue." He spoke with reasonable conviction. 

A thought came into Masoj's mind and he began fumbling about his robes, "I think I can help--well, not me but-" He said and produced the little onyx statuette of his magical panther. The crew turned to look at him and they shot him incredulous stares. A frown crossed Masoj's face, he hated being doubted, "The panther I used in the catacombs resides on another plane." He began to explain as most of the team crossed their arms over their chests, "Perhaps he can find Izzy. I mean it's a long shot, but what have we to lose?" He concluded with a smile and flashed the little statuette for everyone to see. Will nodded along with Meeks and Elyxya, "I think it's worth a try. Go ahead, Masoj." He said casually and the two warriors at his side smile in anticipation.

Masoj tossed the statue to the ground and called his panther; immediately the regal feline appeared from a dark wisp of smoke. "Gwen!" The elated wizard cried and crouched down to stoke his pet. "I think we should just let Izzy die." Nightshade whispered to Pryzma somewhere from the back. "I think that's a pretty damn good idea." Pryzma whispered back. After licking Masoj's face several times, the great black cat became attentive to his master's instructions, "Gwenwhyvar, you are to return to your home and search for Izzy. She is short with long curly red hair and-" He paused in his words and shook his head, "-well you've seen her before. We believe that a mantis took her back to its original plane of existence, we need her back. If you find her, bring her; unless of course, it's impossible." He finished his commands with a hug for his pet and the panther then de-materialized.

"That was it?" San-Raal asked, his voice filled with disbelief, "You mean the cat will actually do as you say?" He raised and eye brow and watched as his friend got to his feet. Masoj straightened his thick robes and looked over at San-Raal, "He's smart." Was all the drow answered. The deed being done, Will plopped down on the ground and sighed, "Now we play the waiting game." He said curtly and soon enough the entire party was sitting on the ground around him. On everyone's mind was the mantis affair, and so someone had to bring it up again. "What kind of test is this?" Nightshade asked disdainfully, desperate to reveal her true feelings about what's been going on, "I mean, if only one person were to take this test, they'd be dead! Think of all we've been through, that's not something that one person could handle all by themselves." She commented and received the curious stares of all her teammates. Beside the angry thief, Pryzma nodded her understanding, "That's very true. Just take the mantis nest for instance; if one sole cleric would have ventured in there and would have mistakenly awoken those mantises, that person would have died within a few seconds!" She pointed out with wide eyes, "And what about that other army that Meeks and Masoj went through?" She cast a glance at the two in question and they were holding onto each other's hand, "That's crazy stuff! What's going on in here anyway?" She rocked back and hugged her knees. The group seemed agitated now and thoughtful.

Elyxya was next to share her thoughts, "What if the two armies -the nest and the one in the pod chamber- were mistakes. What I mean by that is, what if we weren't supposed to face them? The mantises in the nest wouldn't have awoken if Meeks wouldn't have torn that green light gem from the wall; maybe that was meant as a test of judgement. You know, making the right decision?" She opted wisely and the look on a few members' faces told her that she could be right. Meeks grinned suddenly, "Yeah! And I don't think that the mantis army in the pod chamber would have been a problem if I wouldn't have thrown my dagger onto that precise plate that made the wall disappear. I makes sense, right? Maybe the mantis armies are mistakes." She said brightly. The group kept their smiles wide and their comments in check; everyone knew that Meeks had been the cause of both mistakes, but no one wanted to bash her considering the two mistakes hadn't proved fatal.

"Let's say you're right about the mistake thing Elyxya. Than where do we go next?" San-Raal uttered, leaning against the wall and tapping his fingers on his spellbook, "We've been everywhere we could go." He added and pursed his lips, then shook his head and said, "And what about the bone key I found? Where does it belong?". A grim moan coursed through the group then and before anyone got depressed, Masoj spoke up confidently, "Let's just take this one step at a time. We can figure out where to go next once Gwenwhyvar comes back with news about Izzy." He said and no one cared to contest his notion. The group had almost forgotten about Izzy for a moment, but now she came back to their minds.

"Poor Izzy," Will said with a sigh, "she really tried to do her best around us." He looked around for some support and got Nightshade and Pryzma's wicked grins instead. "Her best isn't good enough, Will." Pryzma said sharply, "Every time she tried to fight, she ended up causing more trouble. She whines all the time...and Nightshade's a far better thief than Izzy. In fact, Izzy's never done anything for us except carry a torch." Pryzma spat disgustedly, Nightshade swelling with pride at her side. Will's horrified expression died down once he'd looked around the group and noticed that no one really cared to defend Izzy, "That's a horrible thing to say, Pryzma." He gulped, unable to accept that she had a point. Nightshade rubbed her hands together like a mad scientist, "That's a horribly accurate thing to say, you mean." She corrected with a sneer. The group felt silent for a moment and Will realized that once again he'd started a bad conversation. "You two could at least have a little pity for her," Will tried with a desperate tone, "she did lose her only friend." He pointed out; now he had a point.

Expecting whole-heartedly to get a somber nod, Will looked over at Nightshade and Pryzma. To his demise, the two began to clap, "Good job Sindel!" Nightshade cried with faded yet true enthusiasm. Will's hands went to his temples and he wondered how come those two hated Izzy so much, she'd never done anything to them! And Sindel, well Sindel was just a mean old--oops, now who was acting up? 

"Hey what about Sindel? What's up with her...has she telepathically contacted you yet?" Meeks asked Will, startling the high-priest in his thoughts. "What? You were reading my mind, Meeks?" Will shot back, a little surprised of being interrogated on what he was just thinking. He cooled down when Meeks drew back in confusion, "No, she hasn't contacted me yet. I have no clue where she is now." He said, his mind going ninety miles an hour with separate thoughts concerning the priestess in question, "Do you guys have any ideas?". The group seemed to think for a moment and then heads began to shake...all except Meeks', "Maybe she went to Dran." She said simply, figuring that's where she would go if she would have been in Sindel's position. Will shifted uncomfortably and winced, "I've thought of it, and let's just say I hope that's not where she went." He responded and everyone knew Will was thinking some pretty nasty thoughts right then.

As a relief from the dismal state of mind that had overtaken the group, a wisp of smoke appeared beside Masoj and soon the shape of a great panther came into the material plane. The entire group drew breath and turned their gazes to the cat, their expressions expecting. Izzy had not come back with Gwenwhyvar. Masoj knelt before his pet and grasped the regal feline's face with his slender hands, "Gwen! You did not find Izzy?" He asked with a deep frown that mirrored everyone else's. As if in shame, Gwenwhyvar lowered his ears and bent his head to lay them atop his powerful front paws; a whimper escaped the cat and everyone understood that their rescue attempt had failed. Masoj bowed his head much like the cat had and then, without turning to face his team, said, "I apologize everyone. Gwenwhyvar was not able to find Izzy." He closed his eyes and felt a kind of inner failure but dismissed it when Meeks' hands squeezed his shoulders optimistically.

"Oh lord, that's the second one we lose now..." Will's voice lamented from amongst the small group. Masoj dismissed his panther and turned to face the others along with Meeks. Meeks rubbed Masoj's arm out of nervosity, "Maybe Izzy'll come back." She exclaimed hopefully and forced a smile to back up her words. Beside Elyxya and San-Raal, Nightshade and Pryzma wore wide grins, "It's best not to bet on it." Pryzma hissed contentedly, figuring the mantis warrior had done a great job at ridding the party of Izzy. Nightshade nodded her approval, "We will do just as well without her. You will see." She added proudly and knew her words were just; she was really the only thief the party needed, Izzy was never really a big help. 

Will shot the two women a reprimanding glare, "It all sounds so cruel to my ears." He began with an exasperated hand gesture, "Izzy was part of the initial team. She spent weeks of training for this expedition, it seems like such a waste." He shook his head and looked at his raiding group. Elyxya took the decision to not dwell on the party's loss, "Look guys, maybe we can see it like this." She said and got to her feet, she drew out her scimitar and spoke matter-of-factly, "It'll be lighter traveling, less people to worry about. We won't have to feed her --not that it was a big problem or anything-- but still, you all know what I mean. We started with eight party members and now we're down to seven, I don't see a problem with that at all. It'll be less people for Will to heal, that helps a bunch!" She paused for a moment and registered that the whole group was listening intently, then she bent down and looked Will in the eye, "And although I'm sorry to admit it, Izzy was never that much help. Ever." She pointed out and winked as Will rolled his eyes and shifted uncomfortably.

Elyxya's pep talk effected Meeks first of all and the brash fighter got to her feet and pulled Masoj along with her, "Elyxya's right. As long as we all take care of the people that are left," She looked at everyone in turn, "then we've nothing to fret about. We're all proficient at what we do so we'll be fine." She concluded and Masoj nodded in agreement. San-Raal blinked and jumped to Elyxya's side, "I am not going to sit here and mourn someone while I could be taking down this wretched temple and satisfying my hunger for revenge." He said with conviction and wrapped his arm around Elyxya's waist. Now the entire group stared at Will. Will stared at the group. Will stared into the electrical pod chamber straight ahead. Masoj and San-Raal walked behind Will and grasped his shoulders, pulling him to his feet as Meeks chuckled and cried, "Just agree you stubborn fool!" And soon the cleric was brushing off his robes and giving the team's wizards a vengeful stare.


	14. Chapter 13

CHAPTER XIII 

The Back Room

"So where do we go now, miss enthusiasm?" Meeks asked Elyxya, shortly after the red-head's pep-talk. Now that the group was more-or-less over Izzy's kidnaping, their mission had to go on. They had been everywhere they could go, yet nothing--or no one--had told them that they'd passed the Test of Faith. Could they have missed something?

"That's what I was saying earlier!" San-Raal cried suddenly from beside Masoj; he threw his arms out exasperatedly, nearly knocking Masoj off his feet , "There's nowhere to go! We've cleaned the place out!" He shook his head and wondered how come the party always seemed to get into these kinds of situations. There always had to be some part of the puzzle missing, there just had to; enigma clung to the team like humidity. A sigh passed the group and then Nightshade said, "So why don't we just look around everywhere again? There's bound to be something -anything- we must have missed." And with a groan the entire group agreed to let the search begin.

***

Dran led Sindel across the floor just below his personal chambers, where the priestess had met up with Dran the night before. The lights remained dim, and the silence was still present; all except for the continuous sound of robes brushing the carpeted floor. It was nearing midday now, and after their earlier conversation, Dran and Sindel had spent the morning walking the luxurious spires of Temple Darkmoon. 

"I do remark that you are not cheap on comfort!" Sindel piped in awe as she walked by a wall orned with intricate tapestries and banners. She ran her fingers over one of them and revelled in its softness. Indeed she had seen a great many luxuries during her short time with Dran and she came to acknowledge the temple's upper quarters in having a much richer atmosphere than those within her old temple. The whole area was so clean, and yet she had seen only one servant: Dran's right-hand man, a curious fellow who never showed his face, keeping it hidden behind the thick black hood of his robes. Sindel had asked Dran about the servant, and the high-priest had explained that the man was simply shy; Sindel wasn't pleased with the explanation, but she waved her questions away without thinking twice.

At her side, Dran chuckled dryly, "It's every man's right to feel at home." He declared and led Sindel around a corner. The words brought a thought to Sindel's mind, "Where is your home, Dran? Where do you come from? I don't believe you've ever told me." She asked and looked around the room ahead of her; no one walked the halls. She looked up at her host then and saw his eyes flick to the side, as if in thought; "You wouldn't know if I told you, so let's just say I come from far." Dran answered and looked down at Sindel, the affliction gone from his stare. The two stopped walking for a moment and Sindel frowned up at Dran, "Oh...alright. Then why did you come to the Waterdeep and build this temple? Were you exiled?" She prodded. Eager to keep walking, for he was not a fan of staying put, Dran pulled Sindel's arm into step, "Um, no actually; I wasn't exiled, I just--came. Sometimes you just need to move, you know?" He said and realized that Sindel was expecting a more elaborated answer to her questions, "I built Darkmoon because I wanted to." He chuckled to himself at the simplicity of the words, "I'm a cleric...that's what I do; I'm qualified to run a temple therefore I want to run a temple. Simple, hmm?" He tried.

Sindel tapped her fingers on Dran's arm out of habit, "Sure, I understand." She said non-commitally and feasted her eyes on a beautiful statue of a great dragon; a statue that stood in an alcove near a closed door made of a golden-hued material. "How did you get the money to fund this place? Did you have it when you came here?" She couldn't help but ask, figuring the richness of Darkmoon's upper chambers to be absolutely exquisite; even the lower chambers were nice! Dran exhaled loudly and gave Sindel an annoyed look, "Are you writing a book?" He snapped, startling Sindel, then cooled and added, "I had quite a bit of money when I came here, Sindel. I'd made quite a bit of profit back home.". He watched as his guest inspected the dragon carving, one of his favorite pieces.

Dran's uneasiness when speaking of his past struck Sindel as odd, intriguing even. She turned towards the stone dragon statue and bent to look at it in whole; it stood on its hind legs and its magnificent wings were spread wide, in its taloned hands it proudly held an amulet and a few coins. The carving was made of carnelian, a fiery-coloured semi-precious stone, that had been set with a multitude of other stones to give the impression of brilliance and shadow all at once. Although the piece in whole was of great beauty, the thing that caught Sindel's attention was the dragon's eyes; two finely- cut emeralds were set in position, and by these, the stone dragon's stare seemed to pierce through one's very soul. "Is there something wrong?" Came Dran's voice from behind, snapping Sindel from her fixated daze. 

"Its eyes are like yours." Sindel blurted suddenly. She looked over her shoulder at Dran and then back to the dragon, "They are." She pressed; she couldn't quite explain it other than the fact that the high-priest's eyes were green too, but still...there was something else there... She swept around inches from Dran's face and he drew back in surprise, "Well...thank you." He stuttered, blinked, and took a step back. Sindel stood still for a moment, staring, then slowly, she smiled and nodded, "It's a nice statue." She said thoughtfully and reached for Dran's arm. "Thank you." The overlord repeated gingerly and took his high-priestess' arm to lead her away from the alcove.

***

San-Raal harmlessly pretended to repeatedly hit his head on the smooth stone wall of the mantis nest, "Why why why why why..." He lamented to himself. The group had run about for a half hour and had found nothing amiss or of interest; San-Raal claimed he knew it would happen, and the rest of the party didn't blame him for thinking pessimistically. From across the room, near the place where Meeks had taken the light gem from the wall some time earlier, Elyxya witnessed San-Raal's self-torture and frowned. "Boy, he really hates mysteries." She commented to Pryzma and pointed in the dark elf's direction. Pryzma looked over at the wizard and smiled shyly, "No one from Ched Nasad likes mysteries, Elyxya. It is the way of our people--at least in our city it is." She said wistfully, then she turned and watched as Elyxya stalked over to cheer up her grieving friend.

"Stop it, San-Raal." Elyxya warned as she approached him, even though the wizard wasn't really harming himself, "You weren't this pessimistic down in the catacombs! Why are you being such an extremist now?" She asked and pulled San-Raal away from the wall by his shoulders. The mage closed his eyes and turned around slowly, "Because there had to be a way out of the catacombs, or else...who would go there? But this, this is a completely different situation!" He cried, his voice cracking with strain, "Who knows what happens to postulants who fail the Test?! What if they get jammed in here like we are now? Hmm?" He bent close to Elyxya and held her gaze intently. Elyxya rolled her eyes in defiance, "Oh please! For god's sake San-Raal if we want to get out of here, we just go back down the stairs! You remember the stairs, don't you?!" She asked sarcastically, as though San-Raal had suddenly gone crazy. 

Dying to tell her she didn't understand, San-Raal narrowed his eyes, slumped back, and sighed. Elyxya, optimistic as anyone could possibly be and tired of seeing San-Raal so apocalyptic, grasped the wizard's slender shoulders and pulled him within an inch of her scowling visage, "Now you listen to me," She whispered fiercely, "you are going to quit being so deathly and you are going to start being happy. Okay?" San-Raal's expression was of complete surprise and Elyxya was thrilled by it, "If you don't believe what I'm saying then listen: you have a key in your pack that you worked for and got, now that key goes somewhere and we're going to find out where! And if that's not good enough to keep you from having a mental breakdown, then this should help." She finished sharply and kissed San-Raal's lips as a closing statement. When Elyxya let him go, San-Raal was breathing heavily, "Yes m'am." He gushed obediently and secretly praised Elyxya for the second kiss he'd shared with her; he watched as she turned to join Meeks at the other end of the room and found himself thinking happy thoughts.

***

"So tell me Dran, how is it that you watch my raiding party?" Sindel asked as Dran stopped before a set of double doors that sported a bunch of detailed symbols from a language that she didn't recognize. The question had been playing in her mind for a while, but she had waved it off thinking a simple scrying glass would do the trick. Dran reached out and grasped the door knobs, "Ah! That, my dear, is what I meant to show you during this delightful stroll of ours." He declared grandly and drew his guest's attention. He pulled both doors open to reveal a large room that cut off into five closed doors. A little disappointed that something magnificent hadn't been revealed, Sindel crept up beside Dran and tapped his arm, "Dran? What did the symbols on the door mean?" She asked curiously; they had seemed important, not part of simple decoration. Dran looked over at Sindel with a shimmer in his eyes, "Oh...I'm honestly not sure. You see, I don't speak the language." He answered matter-of-factly and flashed Sindel a honey-sweet smile. 

A confused expression found its way onto Sindel's face, "What language?" She asked, figuring she could perhaps rummage through her brain and recognize it. Dran's eyes scanned the large room ahead as if he expected something to jump out at him, "Illithid." He answered bluntly. At first, the word didn't ring a bell for Sindel, but then she brought her hand up to her mouth as she came to realize what lived beyond the five doors at the far end of the room ahead. Illithids, commonly known as mind flayers, were the most shunned of inhuman creatures. They stood about six feet tall and adorned themselves with dramatic robes of otherworldly elegance; their skin colour is of an unusual mauve and their heads resemble octopi with two white, pupil-less eyes. The most disturbing thing about illithids is that they feed on the minds of sentient beings by the means of tentacles that serve them as a mouth. Mind flayers commonly reside within the Underdark, and few things would ever dare to cross their path.

Unconsciously, Sindel clutched the sleeve of Dran's overcoat and took a cautious step back and out of the doorway. Dran reached back and sharply pulled Sindel back to his side, "You've nothing to fear." He said calmly, then he cleared his throat and called, "Rain!". At the summons, the far left door opened and a single illithid exited, followed by two others that stayed one step behind. Sindel's instincts told her to bolt, but she knew better than to make such a stupid move; mind flayers were a telepathic people, and incredibly intelligent, more so than any other creature to walk the material plane. Sindel braced her knees and stayed put, knowing that the mind flayers' first attack move was paralysis. Beside her, Dran waited for the small group of illithids without flinching.

When the three creatures had reached their destination, Dran smiled and turned to Sindel, "My dear, I would like you to meet my --agents." He said with a content tone, "Do not be frightened, they won't harm you; in fact, now that you are high-priestess of this temple," He paused to draw a devious smile from Sindel, "nothing will harm you." He looked over at the illithid that stood foremost of the three, "This is Rain; his true name, I cannot pronounce. He is the leader of the undercurrent activities of Darkmoon; such as telepathy, scrying, outside information, and such." He gave the mind flayer a curt nod of reconnaissance. Sindel gulped audibly, her hands still clutching Dran's sleeve, and waved her free hand reservedly, "Hello." She managed, nervous beyond anything she'd felt before. She would have been happy not knowing how Dran kept track of her old raiding party if she would have known that illithids were involved! 

"Greetings, Sindel." A voice said in the high-priestess' mind. She literally jumped back, startled; had the mind flayer just spoken to her? In perfect English? She narrowed her eyes when the illithid, Rain, waved at her as she had earlier. She wondered if the gesture was to make her feel comfortable or if it was to mock her. Dran's hand patted Sindel's shoulder, "I know it's odd at first, but you get used to it. If Rain spoke out loud, he wouldn't be able to pronounce the syllables of our language. And anyway, isn't talking telepathically with Khelben and I the exact same thing?" He said, giving the awkward situation a more layed-back feel. Dran was right, Sindel knew, but she still didn't like the fact that this `Rain' was intruding in her mind with such ease! She didn't know if she could ever get used to it.

Seeing Sindel's obvious discomfort, Dran initiated the conversation so that things could move on, "Rain will show you how he can scrye. Just settle down and follow." He said quickly and fell into step behind the three illithids who turned and headed back towards the set of five doors. Sindel pulled Dran down and whispered to him, "Where did you get these creatures? I've never heard anything good about them! They're evil, and...and...how on earth did you get them to work for you?" She demanded raspily, then realized that her whispering was pointless if the mind flayers could read her thoughts.

Dran's brow furrowed, "I asked." He replied rather quaintly and raised his eyebrow at Sindel. Ahead, the three illithids continued on towards the far center door, noiseless were their steps, except for the swooshing sound of their flowing robes. Sindel recognized the sound; she had heard it when she had first come to Dran's chambers and had assumed it to be clerical robes belonging to clergy members. If she had only known that the sound was illithid and not human, she maybe would have thought twice before staying in the spires of Temple Darkmoon... "You asked? What do you mean you asked'?" Sindel prompted almost frantically, she never realized just how uncomfortable illithids made her feel. 

Rain and his two associates slipped beyond the golden-hued doorway that lay ahead of them, Sindel and Dran followed gingerly. Dran bent close to Sindel in a misled attempt to keep his tone secretive, "I had contacts in the west Illithid caverns and I asked for assistance with Darkmoon. They agreed to it and sent a few of their kin to this temple." He explained quickly, "An old debt, you may call it." He added off-handedly. "How many were sent?" Sindel asked fearfully as she stepped through the doorway at Rain's assistants' heels. Dran hadn't the time to speak when Sindel's question was answered for her. The room ahead of them was as large as Dran's personal chambers and just as elegantly furnished and decorated; inside, busying about, were approximately two-dozen mind flayers. Sindel flinched uncontrollably. 

Sindel found this odd, for even though the creatures were obviously very busy, not a sound could be heard. The perfect roommates, Dran thought to himself and wondered curiously if one of the illthids had overheard him. Six mind flayers stood talking' at the back of the room while two loitered by the door frantically gesturing to one-another with their four-fingered hands. Rain seemed to contact his two companions and they dispersed immediately to join a small group of illithids that huddled around something that Sindel couldn't see. When the two had left, Rain spoke' to Sindel and Dran, "I ask you both not to disturb anyone. We are presently quite busy with a new project." He said in the clerics' minds. With that, he began to walk towards the small group of gathered illithids; Dran and Sindel followed.

Sindel eyed the room's inhabitants with false stoicism, "What's this project he's talking about?" She asked Dran who strode confidently beside her; his eyes were locked on the huddled group of mind flayers ahead. "Rain is leading the others to, directly, mentally contact members of your ex-party and plant suggestions into their minds. I'm hoping we can get them to change their minds about raiding my temple." He said with a hint of desperation in his tone. Sindel thought the plan through and secretly hoped the illithids could do better at changing her party's mind than she had a while back. When she and Dran had reached the little group, the huddled illithids pulled away from their focal point to let Rain and the clerics pass. At last Sindel could see the thing that the creatures were fussing over; it was a crystal ball, about twice the size of one's head, and was propped up by a dragon's paw carved in onyx. Sindel smiled, pretty, she thought pleasantly then jerked upright as Rain's voice answered mentally, "I know.".

"Please don't make that a habit!" Sindel cried out to the creature, she just couldn't stand the illithid's telepathic intrusions. Beside her, Dran patted her arm and pointed to the crystal ball before them, "Quit your whining and look." He said with a hint of impatience creeping into his voice; Rain left to join the rest of the mind-flayers that crept about the room. Sindel did what she was told (amazing!), "What am I supposed to be seeing?" She asked after three seconds of gazing into the shiny crystal; suddenly, the orb darkened, became clear again, then a familiar set of faces appeared. "My team!" She cried, leaning close to the ball and childishly pressing her hands to it, "What are they doing?" She asked as her blue eyes watched intently the scene unfolding before them. The image projected was of Sindel's ex-raiding party; they were loitering about a large chamber and seemed rather depressed. With a smile of contempt, Sindel spoke once more, "Where are they?".

Dran inspected the image as closely as his new high-priestess did, "They're in the Test of Faith' I spoke to you about earlier. They're stuck at the moment." He concluded curtly. Sindel wondered why Dran was always so unspecific, "What do you mean they're stuck'?" She demanded of her accomplice. A loud breath escaped Dran's lips before he answered, "They've gone through the entire bottom floor of the Test and now they're obviously trying to keep going. Unfortunately for them, they won't go anywhere until I say so; you see, the Test is completely governed by Rain and the illithids -- under my word." He explained calmly and watched as the members of Sindel's team walked about aimlessly and yelled at one-another from time to time. "So you're saying that you control everything that goes on in the Test? As in, well...everything?" Sindel gasped. Dran looked over at her and smiled, "Yes." He said sharply, wondering if she was thinking of anything he should know about, then drew back as his question was answered. Sindel pushed herself back from the crystal ball and pointed to it, her eyes round with excitement, "Then why don't you send a whole bunch of monsters in there to finish em off?!" She yelled. Dran shook his head and looked over at the image, "No. It's not that easy, Sindel. I've already wasted a great deal of mantis creatures in an effort to outnumber the members of your party. I don't exactly want to use up everything I've got by throwing them all in the Test of Faith." He said with a deep frown.

Sindel found difficulty in understanding Dran's reserved logic, "But -- why don't you just leave em there or something? Why let them finish the Test? They'll only get closer to taking you down!!!" She fumed, grabbing the high-priest's sleeve and pulling on it roughly; she congratulated herself secretly for having ignored the hateful mind-flayers that continuously busied about the room. "Exactly." Dran piped and blinked at the madwoman on his arm; the priestess' expression went blank and Dran knew he had to explain his words once more for her sake, "Sindel, dearest," He began slowly, like one might when talking to Izzy, "the closer your death squad comes to me, the better chances I have of destroying them if worse comes to worse. My defenses here in the spires of Darkmoon are much, much stronger than the ones in the lower chambers; it's only logical. And besides, I have a couple tricks up my sleeve up here." He said lightly and grinned devilishly.

The explanation didn't really satisfy Sindel, but she went along with it anyway. Her attention quickly returned to the crystal ball, "So what are you showing me this for?" She asked, motioning down to the clear surface of the orb. Dran held up a finger like a school teacher might, "Ah!" He exclaimed, "That's the good part! I will make one last effort to get through to your team in hopes of convincing them to back off from their attack; the illithids have already chosen their host. I will also open the border to the next step of the Test, giving your ex-party a chance to complete it." He said quickly, eyeing the crystal ball furtively, "And I want you to witness it, that you may be accustomed to monitoring through divination." He finished. Sindel nodded dumbly, "Okay." She uttered.


	15. Chapter 14

CHAPTER XIV 

Admittance

"I say we just contact Khelben and beg him to get us out of here." Masoj breathed restlessly as he strode from one end of the mantis nest room to the other. The whole crew had spent over an hour futilely combing the lower chambers of the Test of Faith and then had reunited in the mantis nest area to mope and complain. 

"I thinks it's quite obvious we're going nowhere -- " San-Raal piped to strengthen his fellow dark-elf's dismal observations, "-- and fast, at that." He added for additional emphasis. He sat on the floor as Masoj plopped down beside him and absent-mindedly tapped his slender fingers atop his spellbook. He and his wizard friend looked up at Pryzma and Elyxya who, in turn, looked down at them from above; Meeks followed Nightshade around as the thief tested the walls for secret openings -- something she must have done over ten times. 

Will strode into the room from his quick walk outside, "It looks bad; by all appearances we're nothing short of being jammed." He declared, which was absolutely no help at all for his expectant-faced teammates. He smiled falsely and walked over to stand beside Elyxya and Pryzma, "Anything interesting happen on this end?" He asked hopefully, a strange feeling balling up in his throat. From the floor, Masoj pulled a small amulet from beneath his robes and began swinging it before his eyes, "Will, think a second will you? If we had found something important, we wouldn't be sitting here doing zippo and grumbling about each-other." He snapped irritably, not bothering to look up at the cleric who glared down at him.

Will sneered, "A simple no' would have sufficed, you know." He retorted with an edge in his voice, an edge that was normally non-existent. I must be getting just as depressed as they, Will thought to himself in dismay and pulled his gaze from the young mage who was trying to hypnotize himself out of boredom. From beside Will, Elyxya spoke next; "Maybe we could beg Khelben to take us back." She said in exasperation and brought her hand to her aching head. 

There was a moment of silence and Pryzma stepped turned around to face as much of the group as possible. Her hand went down to the hilt of the new undulated-blade sword that hung at her side, "I've been thinking lately about the whole Dran and Khelben thing. W-what if Khelben really doesn't care about us and he just wants us here for his own purposes and not the town's...like Sindel had explained down in the catacombs some time back." She said in a shaky voice, eyeing everyone separately.

Will's expression darkened, "Now wait a minute there, Pryzma --" He began but the drowess cut him off sharply with a serious stare, "I know we've been over the issue already, but...have we really? I mean, have we really thought this one through? Because I get the feeling we're into something that's not all right, something that won't be as glorious as we'd like it to be." She paused and the team listened intently, their gazes different from one to the other, "Wouldn't we be risking our lives for nothing? You know, I'm not a fan of that type of martyr. Maybe the fact that we cannot continue from here on is a sign from Dran Draggore that he wants us to get the hell out of his temple before we end up tearing it apart." She argued on with wavering conviction.

"Dran scares me." Meeks uttered, not at all enjoying the idea that someone might be toying with her. It made her feel so insignificant to wonder if Sindel had been right down in the catacombs, that's why she had never bothered to think the matter through a second time -- much less bring it out in the open again. "This is important." Pryzma went on, participation from the group members encouraging her flow of ideas, "We are obviously walking into great danger by continuing on with our mission." She said with a tone of finality. She exhaled loudly and awaited a thought-out response from someone other than Meeks.

"I think we should have faith in Khelben." Elyxya declared suddenly, drawing Will's attention, "We can't go on being ambivalent like this. We have to make up our minds; we've not got enough information or proof to name anyone the culprit of our sad situation, so I say we stick with our original course. We were hired by Khelben, so we stay loyal to Khelben. Makes sense to you guys?" She opted matter-of-factly. San-Raal opened his mouth to say something in response when Nightshade's voice rang out from the right.

"The wall!!!" She yelped in a high-pitched voice and immediately Pryzma jumped to her side and stared in the direction of Nightshade's pointing finger. The team all whipped their heads to the side as the wall that had once harbored two niches (one of which had been robbed of its green jewel from Meeks) dissipated and made way to a staircase going up. Everyone got up and headed towards the newly-arrived staircase; "So much for your sign from Dran'." Will chided as he swept past Pryzma and climbed the stairs ahead two at a time. Pryzma shook her head and followed quietly.

***

The staircase lead to a series of chambers that held miniature challenges much like the ones encountered in the lower chambers of the Test; nothing as big as the mantis army though, the team was happy to see. A series of puzzles and mazes that composed the intellectual part of the Test were handled easily by Masoj, San-Raal and Pryzma. A new type of creature had come up to fight the crew: flying snakes. They poisoned and the bit, and Elyxya and Meeks had their fair share of wounds for Will to sit and take care of. Oddly enough, one serpent had begun to follow Elyxya around, tagging along and causing no harm to the team whatsoever; the fighter named it "Slinky" -- the rest of the team laughed at her whole-heartedly. 

The main point of the upper chambers of the Test, Nightshade quickly figured, was to gather a large number of items that would eventually be deposited somewhere, which would then lead the team to the next part of their trial. It was best described as a trade-off treasure hunt. After suffering a great deal of torment, the crew finally set up camp' before a locked door. 

"That burns, you fool!" Elyxya cried at Will as the cleric rubbed some pale salve on her left thigh. She had been bitten three consecutive times on the leg and had narrowly escaped poisoning. "Let me do my job, Elyxya. You're just like Masoj." He commented, recalling the time he had healed the wizard's cheek after they had returned from the catacombs; the mage had unceasingly jerked away from the sting of his healing. Above Elyxya's head hovered Slinky, who looked around blandly and seemed to be thinking about something important -- if such a thing could be said about a snake. 

"It doesn't like me." Meeks whined as she looked up at the flying snake that clung to her best pal like a burr. She was sitting down atop her blankets and was munching on what was left of Will's conjured dinner, a dismantled orange that leaked all over her fingers and dripped into her lap. "I don't want it to come near me." Masoj said darkly, narrowing his eyes at the creature with obvious disdain; he had laid his blankets by Meeks', like he had for quite some nights, more than happy for the extra warmth he'd been getting from the warrior and her covers. Nightshade, a few paces away, scowled deeply, "Ugh, I don't want it to come near me either. I may have a heart attack." She said raspily and Pryzma nudged her when Elyxya looked over at her with a concerned look.

When Elyxya's wounds had been healed and Meeks' hunger had been temporarily sated, the small crew curled up and attempted to get some sleep. Nightshade and Pryzma stayed up though; Pryzma brushed Nightshade's long black hair while the thief rummaged through her backpack for an inventory check, both whispered like school girls did. "Were you serious about the Dran thing back in the mantis nest room?" Nightshade asked curiously, fingering the stopper of a bottle of blue healing fluid. Pryzma tugged a knot from her friend's hair, "Yes, I was. Did I not sound credible?" She replied quietly. "That's not it. It's just that we had all agreed earlier that we were gonna tear this place apart for Khelben and that Dran was bullshitting us -- or brainwashing us -- whatever." Nightshade said hastily, her voice coming out not as low as she'd like it to.

"Well people can change their minds, you know?" Pryzma declared and lifted the dark hair she was brushing to let it fall dramatically atop Nightshade's slender shoulders, "So I had a change of thought, that's all. Can you really blame me? I mean, we are in a precarious situation here; I just don't like the idea of being lead on. I'm afraid of what may be at the end of the line, and I'm not just talking about what we'll encounter the closer we get to Dran. I'm also talking about what will happen when we get back to the city -- if we get back to the city." She said meekly and Nightshade winced, "If what we did here was wrong, then we'll be looked on as murderers and raiders and horrid individuals altogether." She concluded. 

Nightshade sighed and looked across at Meeks and Masoj; the two slept soundly in each-other's arms -- Meeks began to snore. "Pryzma, I just don't know what to think, you know? This is all very confusing to me; I expected this to be a straight-forward mission, but it's turning out to be quite complicated. Maybe Dran is right, maybe not. I really don't know." She said and shrugged confusedly and closed her bag then put it aside. Pryzma gave Nightshade's hair a final stroke, "Sure, but we'll have to come up with a decision one time or another, or we'll be walking into our deaths." She said apocalyptically and put away her hair brush. The two slipped beneath their covers and Pryzma immediately fell asleep. Nightshade rolled onto her side and faced Elyxya who slept with an arm draped over San-Raal's waist; her mind raced with after-thoughts concerning Pryzma's last words.

What if they were making a very big mistake in going on with the raid of Temple Darkmoon? 

***

The next morning, bright and early, the group gathered around San-Raal as the mage rummaged through his backpack, "I swear the bone key I found goes with this lock," He mumbled and pointed a finger at the lock on the wall without looking. Indeed, there was a great possibility that the bone key did correspond to the lock he pointed to; the lock itself was made of a plate of ivory bone that sported an odd little opening. San-Raal has waited so long, impatiently, for the mystery of his key to be solved. He'd worked so hard for the little thing that he sincerely wished the key would be the ticket to something big and impressive, something that would bring reason to his craze and efforts. 

A few seconds later, the drow pulled a mat-white key from his belongings, "Here we go!" He exclaimed and grinned proudly. Elyxya, who's pet snake Slinky had mysteriously disappeared that morning, hurried the wizard forward towards the lock, "Yes, yes...go!" She cried impatiently and ignored San-Raal's offended glare. Ha! My moment of triumph is at hand! San-Raal thought to himself and wrung his hands before trying the key. The rest of the team watched in silent excitement as the drow slipped the odd-ended tool into the lock and fiddled around with it; there was no immediate result. "I knew it!" Will shouted suddenly, scaring everyone out of their trance, "I knew it wouldn't wor--" He stopped short as a loud click' sounded beside him. The lock had opened, San-Raal had been right.

"What was that, Will?" Masoj purred and strode past the cleric to congratulate his friend; Will frowned and shook his head. San-Raal's scarlet eyes shimmered with pride and he rubbed his slender hands together as the great stone door opened before him, "Yes!" He squealed with delight. The door opened to reveal a long corridor, blocked off at the end by another door, that cut off consecutively to the left and right into ten small square areas. At once the group bolted to the other end of the corridor and attempted to open the door that stood in their way; it didn't budge.

"Alright then, let's see what those little indents in the wall are." Nightshade proposed brightly. The party turned and looked into the first square area; there was, on the back wall, a closed mouth of stone. Will recognized it in a flash, "Hey! That's just like the magical mouth that gave you the bone key." He declared and pointed at San-Raal; the mage nodded his approval and added with a shrug, "It probably talks like the one downstairs too." He blinked curiously and took a step forward to touch it as he had touched the other stone mouth. "Neato!" Meeks cried and bounded ahead, cutting the wizard off. She stopped before the chiseled lips and turned back to her crew, "Watch!" She said with a throaty chuckle, then bent and embraced the magical mouth; Masoj slapped his hand to his forehead and groaned.

As San-Raal had predicted, the lips animated and Meeks shrieked in shock, "Give me the blade that has taken so much, that life may never again feel its callous touch." The mouth spoke with a strangely compelling voice. Meeks trembled and darted over to Masoj who rolled his eyes, "I didn't do it!" Meeks yelped and clutched the mage's sleeve. Elyxya burst out laughing as San-Raal strode forward and faced the entire group, "Elyxya, please." He pleaded and the warrior quit laughing but remained all smiles, "The mouth wants a blade, we give it a blade." He continued when he had silence. The team shifted uncomfortably and Nightshade spoke up from the back, "What blade, San-Raal?" She asked bluntly, "There are lots of blades here with us." She looked around and San-Raal mimicked her. Elyxya hugged her new scimitar to her chest and, beside her, Meeks slipped her halberd behind her back; Will made no move towards his longsword and Masoj slid his hand into his boot to retrieve his dagger.

Pryzma though, stepped ahead and held out the wicked-edged sword that she had found in the lower chambers of the Test, "I got the feeling it was magical when I held it for the first time so I took it with haste. Maybe it's the sword the mouth wants." She said calmly and handed the weapon to San-Raal who took it from her with care. "Maybe." The mage breathed and plunged the sword blade-first between the stone mouth's open lips. At once, the animated thing's hunger was sated and the wall regained its normal appearance. Pryzma brushed off her hands, "What do you know, I was right." She said quaintly and looked back at the group. 

They turned out of the alcove and headed into the next one where a second mouth awaited its feast. Once again the magical entity spoke and demanded its fee which happened to be a small red gem that the gang had found during the upper chambers' intellectual tests. When it had been satisfied, the party went to the next and so on until all ten mouths had been fed with small treasures that Nightshade had counted the night before while discussing with Pryzma. A few moments after the deed had been completed, the door at the other end of the corridor creaked open.

"Come on! The other door's open now!" Masoj called to the crew which had strayed to make sure their feeding' task had been properly executed. The other six team members jogged up to where the mage stood and peered into the room beyond. It was a well-lighted, empty room about the size of the entrance hall of Darkmoon. Masoj's nose twitched, "I have a bad feeling about this." He warned, surveying the room intently for possible traps or side passages. Elyxya and Meeks poked their heads in through the door and took a look for themselves, "Looks clean to me." Elyxya said and Meeks nodded to back her up, "I say we just calmly and cautiously--" She began and once gain her plans were ruined by Meeks who pushed past her and stood in the center of the empty room.

There was a relieved sigh from the other members of the crew despite the risk Meeks had put herself through. "Don't do that!" Masoj couldn't help but yell sternly at the object of his desire; Meeks put on a sheepish expression, "Well someone had to go first." She whined and looked to Elyxya for support. The other warrior licked her parched lips and dismissed her friend's silent plea; she walked up beside Masoj and looked around the room. The rest of the group finally came in and soon all seven hirelings stood in the center of the strangely quiet room. "What is the point of this???" Nightshade said sharply, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled in. 

As if in response to the thief's question, a shift in the air before the group caused a surprised gasp to escape the team's lips. Before them appeared a tall man, garbed in a crimson clerical overcoat, black tunic and matching pants. The man smiled a velvet smile of which his emerald eyes betrayed the honesty. Elyxya drew her scimitar and Meeks angled the blade of her polearm; the mages of the group chanted quietly and Will's eyes were riveted thoughtfully on the figure before him.

"I am Dran Draggore, High-Priest and overlord of this realm." The man introduced himself with a grace that was not false, "Welcome to Darkmoon, intrepid ones." He finished with an unreadable gleam in his eye. Will gasped and his cheeks grew hot; Meeks and Elyxya started forward but Masoj and San-Raal drew them back roughly; Pryzma and Nightshade just froze. "You bastard!" Came Will's booming, heated cry; his hand went to his sword like a magnet might to another. The team jumped at the cleric's sudden rude exclamation.

"My, my!" Dran cooed and held out his hands defensively, "What temper clerics have these days!" His keen eyes set on Will's gleaming longsword; he made no move to fight back. Will's mouth opened to retort, but Masoj's tongue was quicker, "Would you care to explain to me what the hell is going on here?" He said sharply, his brow furrowing in confusion and frustration. Meanwhile, Will's sword did not relent its assaulting point on Dran. "Whatever are you talking about?" Dran asked sarcastically, then, when the team before him didn't respond, added, "I believe you already know what's going on--" He paused and raised an eyebrow at Sindel's most hated rival, "--Masoj, is it? Anyhow, although you all know that what you are doing here in my temple is completely wrong, you still choose to go on with your mission and ravage my belongings." Dran went on, his hawk-like features growing stern. His emerald eyes scanned each member of the seven part party thoughtfully, it made the warriors nervous.

"We all think you're brainwashing us." Meeks declared from beside Elyxya in a matter-of-fact tone. Dran's jaw dropped in feigned surprise and Elyxya slapped the back of Meeks' head. "Is that so?" Dran asked skeptically, puting on a fine charade, "May I ask why you would take Khelben's word over mine?" He added with a brilliant fire in his gaze that created a window into his infuriated soul.

There was a momentary silence among the band of warriors, then Nightshade spoke her mind, "Because Khelben is the city Archmage and his words is reliable. What we've heard concerning you is not favorable, if you ask me, and the creatures we've encountered in your temple have not helped to prove our speculations otherwise." She explained and lifted her sharp nose haughtily. She was right, and even Dran knew it, but it wasn't going to be that easy for the seven teammates...not in Darkmoon! Dran chuckled but Elyxya did not miss the High-Priest's fists balling up at his sides, "And a High-Priest's words are not reliable?" He asked innocently. Among the team, thoughts of Sindel and her bad mouthing swam; she had been the living proof that high-ranked clergy weren't always reliable.

Meeks scratched her head and peered at Dran, "Sure...but, what about the monsters?" She said meekly; behind her, Masoj smiled at the comment and placed a hand on the lady's strong shoulder. She wasn't bright, he admitted to himself, but at least she was straight to the point. Already, Dran began to lose his patience, "Oh for the love of--" He rolled his eyes irritably then gave Will a nasty glance before changing the subject, "Concerning Sindel," He began, his grin returning, "she is safe...with me. She was able to discern right from wrong and thus joined me in my fight, as my High-Priestess." He said with and arrogant inflection. Wills sword tip clanged to the floor and his gaze went blank. His fears had been confirmed; Sindel was not coming back -- ever. It crossed his mind to doubt Dran's words, but he knew that it would be naive of him; Sindel had the best position now, just like she always strived to achieve. "I knew it." Masoj said under his breath. Pryzma shifted uncomfortably and Nightshade sneered vindictively at Dran. Meeks and Elyxya remained calm and San-Raal looked elsewhere in silent contemplation.

"Yes," Dran said calmly, "I thought I'd get that kind of reaction." He tugged at the sleeves of his flaming red overcoat and took one last look at the startled group of warriors before him, "Know this, impudent fools; now you get the mark of Darkmoon, and with it, access to the spires of my temple." He took a deep breath and then continued, "If you choose to go on with your quest to rid the Waterdeep of me and my temple, then please do. I have made a final effort to show you reason but it seems that barbaric nature has won over diplomacy. In that case, I am forced to strengthen my means of defense." He flashed the team a wicked smile and swept around to soundlessly walk out of the room, "I bid you good day." He echoed as he left.

"Wait!" Elyxya called after the cleric, but with a flick of his hand, Dran disappeared and a searing pain struck Elyxya's hand. She screamed and her cries were soon joined by those of the other team members. A few seconds later, the pain subsided and Elyxya looked down at her hand; in her palm was the intricate, seemingly incandescent, magical image of a dragon. The mark was on everyone else too. At the other end of the room, the wall disappeared to reveal a teleporter; they had passed the Test of Faith.

They were members of the cloth now. 


	16. Chapter 15

CHAPTER XV 

Knowledge of Past and Future

"I can't believe you let them through." Sindel groaned, following Dran as soon as the high-priest came back from his teleportation to the Test of Faith; he had come back with an expression on his face that Sindel had found difficult to interpret. "Sindel, my dear," Dran began rather soothingly and took the priestess' arm to lead her away from the spot they stood in, "It had to be done. And besides, we've went through this before; I cannot just send all my henchmen into the Test and hope to god your ex-team is destroyed. Quite frankly, that would just be silly...and rather stupid." His expression brightened at his words although Sindel's frown did not get any less deep. The two were heading towards Dran's personal chambers, which were now shared entirely by Sindel, and Sindel was more than happy to leave the illithid-filled chambers that Dran had introduced her to.

A breeze floated through a nearby window and Sindel was attracted by it, "But Dran," She whined childishly and walked over to the window, dragging the priest along with her, "I really don't like the idea of them getting so close to you -- us. I mean, I understand that their blatantly barbaric refusal to our pleas of mercy have been fruitless and that they have to suffer the consequences now, but still --" She leaned out the window and clutched the red velvet drapes that hung on each side of it for support, "-- I'm simply convinced that there's some easier way to dispose of them. Wouldn't you agree, dear? Honestly now, aren't we taking chances...gambling with our lives like this?" She finished, inhaling the crisp autumn air that wafted in through the window. She pondered for a moment about the breathtaking view that the spires of Darkmoon offered; it was such a perfectly placed building. 

Patience was not Dran's virtue, "Yes, of course there's an easier way, but I haven't thought of it yet! So for now on, I'm just going to tighten up ranks up here and set a few goodies out for your team to hassle with. You really must trust me on this one." Dran fumed with an edge in voice; he waited impatiently for Sindel to leave the window sill alone and then promptly pried her away when she didn't budge. "Where are they going now that they've past the Test of Faith?" Sindel asked, her voice darkening to reveal her apprehension; her hands tightened about Dran's sleeve. The high-priest looked down at her and smiled an oddly disconcerting smile, "They're going to meet the Frost Giants. They are very territorial and won't tolerate intruders; you would not believe the trouble I went through to lodge them here within the temple. " He said simply, as though the whole world should have been aware of that fact. His emerald eyes scanned Sindel's face and her frown betrayed her silence; with a chuckle, Dran patted the priestess' shoulder and decided to keep the technicalities of Darkmoon to himself.

***

"Oh my hand!" Will yelled, though not at the pain but at the simple fact that his palm now sported the mark of Darkmoon. At first, when his team had asked him to wear the robes of Darkmoon, it had been a sacrifice; but now, now he had to bear the wicked temple's mark too! He wondered for a moment if he should just give up religion altogether if he would have to keep switching faiths; then he figured that inside, if not outside, he was still a pious man of his own religion. Then, the priest's mind moved to more pressing matters: Sindel and Dran Draggore. He swallowed and took a deep breath as the urge to vomit came over him; he should have known. He should have known Sindel would never hold out, she was too independent, too chaotic to stay tied to her party members. Ungrateful wench, Will swore at the departed priestess -- and immediately brought his hand to his forehead; he didn't feel all that well.

"You doing alright?" Meeks piped, coming up beside the cleric and tapping his shoulder with the blade of her polearm, "You don't look so hot." She frowned concernedly. Will shooed her away with a flick of his wrist, "I'm fine, Meeks. Just fine." He said quietly; Meeks, satisfied, shrugged and turned back to Elyxya and San-Raal. "You guys ready to go through the teleporter?" She asked to the two as much as to the rest of the team who stood back, examining their new palm markings. Elyxya nodded and pushed San-Raal in front of her, "Yep, we're ready to go." She said brightly and the little mage in front of her smoothed his dark robes then nodded in turn. Meeks smiled at them and directed her gaze to the others in the back, "And what about you guys? Are we all ready to go?" She asked a second time. Nightshade unsheathed her sword and ran her fingers through her hair, "Of course, Meeks." She said with a gleam of excitement in her black eyes; beside the older thief, Pryzma fiddled uncomfortably with the mark of Darkmoon in her hand, "I'm ready to go...but this thing better not be hindrance to my magic." She said with a pout and forced herself not to pay any more attention to it by hiding her hand behind her back.

Last but not least, Masoj stepped up before the impatient Meeks and held his hand up for the warrior to see the new dragon marking, "It's annoying me." He complained curtly and raised an eyebrow at Meeks. The dim-witted fighter bit her lip and then threw out her arms in a rush-gesture, "What do you want me to do about it?!" She cried exasperatedly, her mind set on getting the hell out of the Test of Faith. Masoj shrugged and balled his fingers into a fist, "You know," He began and put on a desperate, annoyed expression, "I really...don't...know." He said and his arm fell limp at his side. For the first time since she had known him, Meeks wondered at Masoj's sanity; then, she figured that a mage's most prized possession was his hands, and she gave the drow reason for his frustration. "Just...think of something else, alright?" Meeks said finally; Masoj blinked as if to say say what?' and Meeks placed a kiss on his nose to make his rising temper simmer. The wizard exhaled loudly and cursed women for being so manipulative.

Nightshade had already stalked up to the shimmering light of the teleporter, "Good then, let's get out of here!" She urged and the team followed as she stepped through the portal. When the team stepped through, they arrived in a huge audience hall that was brightly lit and vacant; the ceiling was amazingly high. Directly in front of them was an abnormally large throne mounted on a high dias; to the left of the throne was a hallway that went off far enough for discerning the end of it was impossible. The whole room was built in a stone the differed from that of the rest of the temple; it was crystal-like and blue in color, to the touch it was cold.

San-Raal turned around when he had stepped through the teleporter and watched the thing vanish, "If we were planning to leave by that way, we're out of luck." He declared to the team and they all looked to where the wizard pointed; except Elyxya, who stood staring at the wide room in open reverie. The teleporter's pink crystalline structure dissipated into nothingness and a slab of cold blue stone took it's place. "Oh, shitty." Meeks said simply and turned back to the large chair behind her, "Why's it so big?" She asked dumbly, shaking her head in confusion. Luckily for the other members of the team, Meeks' question was answered for her.

***

"Sindel, come here." Dran said with a cheer in his tone, "I want you to hear this." He was sitting in one of the well-cushioned seats of his lounging room, where he and Sindel had had their first real talk; in his hands he held a large, open book. The high-priestess came to him then, and sat down across from him with a goblet of water in her hands, "What is it?" She asked curiously, leaning forward to get a good look at the book Dran held. With a sigh of derision, the priest shook his head, "There's nothing for you to see, just listen to what I read to you." He said, running his fingers along the length of the gilded page. After shooting a final glare at Sindel, Dran began to read out of the great book, "When the priest of serpents strays and finds the daughter of vice and virtue, an empire will be built. Foes to friends, bliss. Friends to foes, chaos. When all seems lost, the child who is not will come and take the blessed city's throne." He finished and looked inquiringly up at Sindel, "What do you think?" He asked her when she met his gaze. 

Sindel cleared her throat, "I don't know." She made a dismissive gesture, "What is it? What book is it from?" She asked, trying to see for herself but unable to accomplish the task. Dran raised the book to show her the cover; it was plain and free of inscriptions, "It's a book I've had for long time. It's a prophecy." He said matter-of-factly, watching as Sindel reached out to touch the rough surface of the book. She frowned up at Dran, "A prophecy?" She asked incredulously, beginning to toy with a strand of her hair, "You read prophetic books outside of your religious beliefs?" She pressed on. A wave of annoyance swept over Dran's sharp features, "You are not in a position to lecture me about religious beliefs." He pointedly reminded the priestess and leaned back in his chair, "It's the entire telling of the history and future of the Waterdeep. It's a text from my homeland that I've always found intriguing." He continued. Sindel let go of her hair and rested her shifty hands in her blue-robed lap, "I'd say so; I enjoy prophecies too. But, why did you read that particular passage to me, Dran? I'm afraid I'm not very good at interpreting predictions." She admitted, her curiosity overwhelming her slight irritation. 

Dran's eyes darkened, "Oh. Darn. I was hoping you could clear things up for me." He said desolately. Within seconds, Sindel started up, "What do you mean? Clear what up for you? Whatever it is, I can try; go on, don't just stare at me like that." She urged like a child, her eyes shimmering. Dran couldn't help but smile; Sindel was attractive when she wasn't frowning or yelling or cursing or scowling, "I read that particular passage to you because lately, it's been applying to you and I." He said and Sindel hastily snatched the book from his hands and re-read the prophetic passage to herself. When she was done, she looked up from the text and shook her head in confusion, "I don't see it." She declared. Dran's eyes narrowed impatiently, "Look closer, my dear." He hissed, beginning to believe that Sindel must have been quite useless during theological researches within her old temple.

"So...you would be this priest of serpents' and I would be the daughter of vice and virtue'?" Sindel asked slowly after many moments of fruitless contemplation on her part, "How can that be? How would such titles apply to us? I mean, as far as I know, I don't have a vice -- I'm as close to perfect as one can get." She said petulantly and Dran rolled his eyes and held his tongue, "And you? A serpent priest'? What???" She cried, absolutely unable to make any connection whatsoever and beginning to wish she would, instead, have pretended to understand. Dran held up a finger and decided to take this one cautious step at a time, "First of all, Sindel, prophecies aren't always exact; everyone knows that." He paused for he knew that the next thing that would come out would be a sensitive part, "And you, no matter how many times you deny it, are far from perfect." He flinched when Sindel's deep frown came back accompanied by that wonderful glare of hers, "Don't look at me like that, please. To explain my title, I can only think of one thing; the symbol I've chosen to represent Darkmoon with." He said shortly and looked Sindel in the eye. Sindel seemed to think for a moment and added bluntly, "Your eyes don't help the serpent thing, you know; that could have been taken into consideration during the scribing of the prophecy. You really do have snake eyes." She said, suddenly recalling the beautiful jem-statue of the red dragon near the cursed illithid chamber. 

Dran blinked at the comment; he looked startled and quite frankly, caught off guard, "Yes...I suppose. Do mind your comments, Sindel, I can get offended really easily. You're much the same, as I can recall and deduce from our stay." He scolded, a frown of his own now appearing on his face. Sindel thought of apologizing but dismissed the crazy thought; she was right, no sense in excusing the obvious. Quickly enough, she changed the subject, "So if that is us they're talking about in the book, than what does the rest of it mean? What's all this stuff about friends and foes and chaos...and not to mention the thing about the child who is not' coming back to take the Waterdeep's throne." She paused for a split-second, "Waterdeep doesn't even have a throne! All we have is an archmage," She and Dran shared a moment of grumbling at the mention of the city's archmage, "and a few overlords! No kings." She said decisively and crossed her arms over her chest negatively. The woman's explanation did not content Dran, "Things can change, you know." He said simply and was answered rudely by Sindel, "You're really into this, aren't you? What if it's not true?" She asked defiantly.

Dran raised an eyebrow at her and his odd eyes flashed, "What if it is?"

***

One would expect the ground to shake at the coming of a giant; unfortunately, the ground remained quite still. Meeks' dark eyes whipped to her left as an enormous figure stepped out from depths of the long hallway; she drew her polearm and heard her teammates do the same. Nightshade gasped and clutched at Pryzma's cloak when the Frost Giant had completely exited the corridor and had turned to face the intruders. The giant was male, and stood about fifteen feet tall; he was bearded and wore armor, as well as a great flowing overcoat that identified him as an important figure. 

Elyxya, who had been standing back and staring in awe at her surroundings, finally showed signs of life. Unlike the others, she did not flinch at the sight of the Frost Giant; instead, her gaze seemed to be soothed by the particular sight. She seemed almost in recognition Beside her, San-Raal neared the climactic words of a paralysis spell; "Don't, San-Raal." Elyxya breathed to him, breaking the wizard's concentration instantly. San-Raal's jaw dropped and he looked over at her pleadingly. She did not return his gaze. The whole team seemed stunned until the giant spoke in a thunderous voice, "Halt! Who goes there?" He demanded of the insignificantly sized party that had intruded into his home. The dialect the giant used was unknown to the members of the party...to all, that is, except Elyxya.

The red-headed warrior pushed her way through to the front of her team and dropped to one knee before the gargantuan Frost Giant, "Hail, my Lord!" She intoned, loud and clear, in the giant's native tongue. There were gasps amongst the team, all were confused as to what was going on; but they figured that if Elyxya could communicate with the giant, then the team wouldn't have to fight him. On seeing Elyxya, the Frost Giant's stiff posture slackened, "I am Elyxya Black and these are my friends; we have come to rid the Waterdeep of Dran Draggore and this cursed temple on the orders of Khelben Blackstaff." Elyxya explained in the foreign tongue that not even the team mages knew. The Frost Giant, perplexed, sat atop his huge throne and questioned Elyxya; the conversation between the two went on for about fifteen minutes, leaving the rest of the party astonished and grateful of delaying a future confrontation with the massive man.

When the words had stopped flowing between the two, the Frost Giant spoke a summons that commanded the teleporter, that had once been behind the team, to reappear. He then got up from his seat, inclined his head in recognition to Elyxya (a move which was mirrored by the warrior herself), and left the room to disappear back into the hallway to the left. Elyxya turned back to her team with a smile on her lips.

"We're free to go straight to the spires of Darkmoon. That's where we can find Dran." She declared quaintly. She began to head for the teleporters but Meeks dashed after her and stood firmly in her way, "Oh no you don't! Not until you tell the rest of us what happened with the Frost Giant." She said decisively. The rest of the group gathered around Elyxya then and eyed her curiously, "Oh alright." The red-head said exasperatedly. She turned to Meeks first, "I've never told you this, Meeks, but I'm not fully human." She said apocalyptically, the anger that should have appeared on her friend's face was replaced with a look of interest, "My grandfather is a Frost Giant; I know it sounds funny and completely impossible...and it is. You see," She went on, looking up at the interminably high ceiling above her, "My grandmother went on a trip once and went through a Frost Giant village; she met my grandfather. They fell in love. She asked a mage she if he could shapeshift my grandfather into a normal size for a day; my grandma payed the mage and finally the deed was done. They had my mother; my mother was of human appearance because the shapeshifting magic dulled the actual gene that would have made her a hybrid." She finished with a sigh and looked around at her group with ahopeful expression.

Meeks blinked dazedly, "Oh." She said, realizing the confession made absolutely no difference in the way she saw her best friend; she smiled up at Masoj who stared blankly down at her. San-Raal looked Elyxya up and down, "Interesting." He said, thinking to himself about a multitude of different things. Will, never shakeable, asked more questions, "So what did you say to the giant? Why aren't we all dead?" He asked honestly. Masoj chuckled.

"I told him who we were and what we were here for. He asked me why we were going to take this place down. I told him him everything about Khelben and Dran and the confusion they've put us through, and he said he'd let us go see the High-Priest if we promised to leave the Frost Giants alone and not involve them in any of our troubles; I agreed and he wished me luck on my mission." She explained curtly and frowned at San-Raal who examined her still. Masoj put his hands on Meeks' shoulders, "Why are the giants even here?" He asked brightly and welcomed the warmth of Meeks' small hand atop his. Elyxya licked her lips, "Shelter." She said, "Dran accepted them in after their clan had a war; they're great guards." She piped optimistically. "There's more of them here?" Nightshade asked from the back. Elyxya nodded quickly, "Oh yes, they hate to live alone. There's a dozen of them in the temple -- down that hallway." She said and pointed to the left. 

"Alright then, that means we have to go near Dran now." Pryzma said and breathed deeply, "Why don't we contact Khelben and tell him what's going on?" She proposed to Will directly. The priest pulled at the cuffs of his red robe, "That's a splendid idea, Pryzma." He cheered, taking his backpack off of his shoulders to rummage through it for the golden coin that allowed the team to communicate with the archmage. He pulled it out tiumphantly and smiled trustingly at the crew, "Let's see what guidance we can receive from Khelben." He said. The group sat down and most just drifted off to ignore the whole event, unsure about their loyalties. 


	17. Chapter 16

CHAPTER XVI 

Strengthening ties

"They what???" Sindel shrieked at Dran, her hands balling into fists at her sides. The normal, soothing answer she normally would have received from the high-priest at any other time did not suit Dran's fury. Dran had witnessed the Frost Giants' actions from the illithids' crystal scrying ball alone, for Sindel didn't want to return to the chamber of telepathic beasts. He had seen and heard it all: Sindel's ex-party was on its way to the spires of Darkmoon -- courtesy of the captain of the Frost Giants! That's what I get for trusting a tribe of refugee giants, Dran thought cynically to himself while pondering at Sindel's intently agonized facial expression. But he had been so sure of the giants' protection... He thought for a moment about the Prophecy he had read to Sindel, and how it mentioned friends to foes'; the high-priest sighed and hoped to god he was misinterpreting the old script. He knew he shouldn't let the old unmarked book haunt his thoughts as it had for the past week -- since Sindel's cursed team had decided to ravage his beloved temple.

Dran's voice was grading, "They let them pass, Sindel." He repeated, finding his own words hard to believe. Sindel spun away and covered her face with her hands; Dran shook his head, then, with a surge of anger, hit the small table that stood beside the altar in his personal chambers. The room went silent for a few moments as the two clerics were left to their thoughts. I should have known, Dran thought as he stared aimlessly ahead, but that's alright...I'm prepared for those meddling fools, they won't find their stay at Darkmoon pleasant any more -- I swear it! They're so close now... He would have kept rambling silently if Sindel wouldn't have spoken up, her voice calm now, "What type of impediment have you up here?" She asked and caught Dran's eye as he looked over at her. "My best." The high-priest replied, leaning his hands on his red and gold altar; he registered Sindel's blank expression and elaborated for her, "Mages, my dear, mages. Lots and lots of them. Members of the temple too; I keep the more experienced priests and priestesses up here so that they won't cause trouble with the younger ones who reside near the lobby. Generation conflicts are the worst." He said simply and found himself smiling al of a sudden. Sindel reflected his smile with one of her own, "Sounds good." She opted, "Now let's hope they keep their end of the bargain; I wouldn't want another Frost Giant episode to be pulled." She turned to look up at Dran; the high-ranking cleric's smile dimmed and a frown of concern replaced it. 

"That would make me very angry...it could also cost us our lives." Dran gulped. He examined Sindel and a thought came to his mind that had never occurred to him before, "Are you sure you want to stay at my side in this, Sindel?" He asked, beginning to realize the finality of the danger that was building, "It could become very costly...and I'm not talking of finance." He said, his voice going serious and business-like. Sindel wrapped her arms around herself protectively and held Dran's gaze; she knew what she had gotten into when she accepted the high-priest's offer to become his high-priestess, and now that she thought about it, she admitted to herself that she had no honest regrets about her decision. She felt so much happier and valuable in the spires of Darkmoon than she had ever felt amongst her ex-party. She was accepted and understood at Dran's side, a rare feat that she had found no one to execute until then. It wasn't often in her life that she had actually been content; her prominent position within Darkmoon made her happy, it was what she had always wanted. And now she had it...and she had Dran to thank for it.

"I'm staying right where I am now." Sindel declared gravely, her blue eyes shimmering with unshakeable decisiveness. Gratefully, Dran planted a kiss on Sindel's forehead and hugged her to him.

***

Will concentrated with such effort on Khelben's image that his brow was soaked with sweat, "But Khelben, we're so close to reaching our goal!" He cried mentally, the image of the archmage dimmed and flickering with an unknown interference. "I tell you William, be very careful in your next moves. Everything you and the others do now is crucial, this is the part of the mission that proves wether you will succeed...or wether I will be forced to hire another team." Khelben Blackstaff warned with a haughty tone in his voice that tweaked Will's patience. The image wavered and Will cursed the disturbance, finding it extremely difficult to work with, "Yes, yes. Khelben? Are you getting as much trouble with the contact as I am?" He asked curiously. The archmage frowned and shook his head, "No. What's the matter?" He asked, a drastic change of subject from their previous, heated conversation. Will struggled with the telepathic link even more now; Khelben was a blur, "I don't really know, something's killing the link...I can hardly see you." He stuttered. Khelben said something in return but Will did not hear it for the contact between the two ceased abruptly.

"Damn!" Will spat, throwing the golden coin he held to the ground. The other members of the crew gathered around, confused expressions on their faces. "What is it?" Masoj asked and helped Will up from his sitting position. The cleric brushed off his crimson robes and glared at the whole team, "I can't keep a clear connection with Khelben." He said sharply, his annoyance now quite clear. Will's patience had greatly diminished since the team's arrival at Darkmoon but the priest hardly noticed. Coming up to face him was Meeks, her usual look of confusion pasted on her small features, "Does that mean we're alone now?" She asked, not sure if it really mattered seeing as Khelben was never that much of a help...he was actually the cause to some of their confusion concerning their mission. Will took a deep breath and bent down to retrieve his backpack, "Yes, Meeks. I believe it does." He said simply.

A mutual groan passed through the team and Meeks spoke up as they all turned towards the teleporter in hopes of leaving the Frost Giant audience hall, "Wait! I'm hungry, what about having some lunch before we walk into our deaths...hmmm?" She piped brightly and held her arms out for the others to gather around her. Pryzma coughed and narrowed her eyes at the little warrior, "Didn't Nightshade and I give you a sustenance ring?" She asked venomously. Meeks shrugged and then looked at her hand where the little golden ring shone brightly on her middle finger, "Um, maybe I broke it." She tried, somewhat disappointed that the magical ring hadn't taken full effect on her and desperate to explain her misfortune. Masoj covered his mouth and hid his smile. Pryzma slapped her hand to her head and rolled her eyes, "Gimme the ring, Meeks." She said quickly, gesturing with her open hand. Meeks, looking like a lost child, handed the ring over to the dark elven sorceress and interlocked her fingers innocently, "Can we still eat?" She asked anew. 

There were no windows in the Frost Giant audience hall but San-Raal guessed it to be a little passed midday. Will, despondent, created a great big meal for all figuring it just might be their last. He didn't count on eating that night, he guessed the team would be quite busy running and hiding and fighting for their lives. He wondered if it was all worth it for a split-second, then named himself the team's moral advisor and kept his chin up; if he didn't keep his team from going corrupt like Sindel had, then no one would. It would be chaos.

"Anyone thought of Izzy lately?" Will asked as the crew ate greedily around him. Everyone looked up except Pryzma and Nightshade who kept eating. "Not really." Elyxya admitted sheepishly and blushed despite herself. At her side, San-Raal pushed his stark white hair back, "I don't mean to sound cruel, Will, but please...I beg of you...quit mentioning our losses, alright? It doesn't help the confidence factor." He said and downed a fifth cup of water. Undaunted, Meeks licked the bottom of her bowl of soup like an animal, "Where d'you suppose she is now?" She asked; Masoj watched her rude table manners and, gawking, slowly pulled the bowl away from her. She didn't seem to notice; instead, she reached for another bowl nearby. Will tried not to look directly at the fighter, "I don't know Meeks. Maybe Dran has her." He said thoughtlessly. 

San-Raal shook his head, suddenly serious, "You have no idea how much I want to ruin that one." He said darkly, speaking of Darkmoon's High-Priest. The lithe drow blamed Dran for his years as a slave within the temple, even though he'd never seen the man in his entire life. He hated Darkmoon for having caused him the loss of his dignity. Elyxya looked over at him and frowned, "Is it the slave thing again, San-Raal?" She asked and San-Raal couldn't tell if it was a comment or a question. He challenged her gaze and smirked, "Yes, it is." He looked down at the floor when Elyxya's expression softened, proving her last comment to be a question, not an offense, "It was so shameful." He breathed. The group had veered their attention on the interesting scene folding out before them. Elyxya rested a strong hand on the mage's thigh, "We're all very sorry about your pain, San-Raal, especially me. But, don't you think you deserved imprisonment after causing the revolt?" She said tentatively. San-Raal looked over at Elyxya with the corner of his eye, his muscles tightened, "It's not the imprisonment we're discussing, Elyxya, it's the years I've passed as a servant!" His voice cracked on the last word and Elyxya knew that the wizard's temper had nudged its way into the danger zone. 

"I'm looking over here now." Meeks said in a tiny voice and turned around to face the wall; she really didn't care to see her friends fight, not after all the fighting that had happened before -- and all the trouble it had caused. Elyxya ignored Meeks' comment and returned her attention on the fuming mage, "Look, maybe the clerics thought it to be fit punishment for the deeds you committed." She proposed optimistically; she knew the issue they were now discussing would have come up at one time or another the closer they got to Dran Draggore, it was inevitable. San-Raal's crimson eyes opened wide and he threw his arms out dramatically, "I would rather have died, Elyxya!" He cried, "Do you have any idea how long spiritual wounds remain? Much longer than bodily ones, I assure you!" He went on, raving like a complete maniac during a lapse. Elyxya's crystal blue eyes radiated kindness towards the panic-stricken drow, "I know, San-Raal." She soothed and reached out to touch the wizard's hand but he drew back instantly, "You cannot undo what is done. You're going to have to learn to live with it; that's what friends are for. That's what I'm for." She said, and San-Raal's hand did not draw back when she reached out to touch it a second time.

The group was utterly silent now, as San-Raal and Elyxya stared at each-other in silent contemplation. San-Raal cocked his head and gave Elyxya a half-smile, "Are you in love with me?" He asked slyly. There were no gasps amongst the team; Masoj smiled knowingly at his fellow mage. Elyxya grinned suddenly and her hand tightened around San-Raal's, "No use stating the obvious, drow. And you? Are you in love with me?" She asked softly; San-Raal's half-smile became a grin and Elyxya pulled the mage to her and kissed him kindly on the lips. Nightshade and Pryzma blushed and began to clap with delight. 

"Is it over?" Meeks asked, still facing the wall with her hands covering her ears. When she got no answer, she turned around and beheld her team in a state of happiness; Nightshade and Pryzma clapped cheerfully at San-Raal and Elyxya who were entangled in each-other's arms, Will smiled wide and held his hands together thankfully, and Masoj threw his arm around Meeks' shoulders playfully. "So it's over." She declared to herself and leaned her head on Masoj's shoulder, figuring it was the proper thing to do at that time.

***

In the illithid chamber of the spires of Darkmoon, Rain and his fellow mind flayers congratulated themselves for their last move. The seven-man party was now completely cut off from the outside world; telepathic conversations were impossible now that the illithids had erected a silence wall around the temple's entire structure. Dran would be pleased, Rain knew; Khelben could no longer interfere in his affairs. The wall had taken quite some time to build' and had cost the illithids a hefty sum of power; fortunately for them, they had a lot more.

"Ooooh ugh!" Came a high, feminine voice from the doorway of Rain's chambers. The illithid leader looked over to behold a short, orange-haired woman who was being held by two mind flayers. Rain shook his gelatinous-looking head, "Welcome, Elizabeth." He said telepathically to the disgusted young lady.

Izzy couldn't believe what see was seeing. The creatures were so repulsive! She had been taken away by the mantis warriors down in the Test of Faith and had been drugged; she had regained consciousness that morning to find herself in a richly-decorated and carpeted room. She had immediately been taken away again by two creatures who spoke to her through her thoughts. They brought her to a set of intermingled chambers where more of the ugly creatures worked; they kept telling her she had to speak to Rain.

"What do you want from me?" She asked desperately, unable to believe her rotten luck; in the corner of her eye she saw a large crystal sphere, and in it, she caught a fleeting glimpse of seven people whom she recognized from not to long ago. Before her, Rain approached, his long robes rustling on the blood-colored carpet, "You are going to be very useful to us, Elizabeth." He said in her mind, and the two illithids who held her let go and drifted away silently.

***

"Fine," Meeks complained as Pryzma gave the ring of sustenance to Will, "give it to him then!" She pouted and Elyxya hit her on the back of the head as she walked past her. Everyone was ready and waiting in front of the hovering, pink-crystalline teleportation crystals. This was it; this was the point they had to cross to go from doable danger' to too much danger'. Will wrung his hands and turned back to the others, "Are we ready?" He asked symbolically; he got in return six pairs of determined eyes. Alright then, he mumbled to himself and exhaled sharply, "Let's go."

He disappeared first, followed by Meeks and Elyxya, Masoj and San-Raal, and Pryzma and Nightshade last. 


	18. Chapter 17

CHAPTER XVII 

The spires of Temple Darkmoon

"It's beautiful!" Nightshade gasped, looking at the rich walls and decorations around her. The teleporter that had brought the team there had disappeared, being only a temporary mode of transportation. They now stood facing an open room, a staircase going up directly ahead of them across the room. It was quiet, very, very quiet. "Let me see!" Meeks called from the back; she had made a desperate attempt to restrain the teleportation crystals when they had begun to disappear and had failed miserably. The brash fighter pushed her way to the head of the team and her jaw dropped instantly on sight of the area, "Oh jeez; this guy is loaded!" She gasped. On her right side, Will grunted, "The money probably came from all the innocent people he's scammed." He commented sourly, giving the crew the idea that he would not be his same old optimistic self now that they were so close to Dran Draggore.

The walls were intricately carved with sweeping images made of golden-hued metal; the floor was carpeted with thick, red, gold, and black carpet. Hanging from the wall were banners, their colors matching those of the carpet, with the same dragon symbol emblazoned on them that the party members had in their palms. Niches in the wall held statuettes, orbs and other objects that shimmered with jewels or bristled with finely-cut edges. The treasure-bearing niches were usually centered on large walls or directly below windows; there were two windows in the chamber they all stood in now, one on each side of the room. Pryzma fidgeted suddenly, "Wait! I think I heard something." She warned, her eyes scanning the room suspiciously for any invisible creatures that might be holding sentry. Masoj came up beside her and shook his head calmly, "It's probably a bird or something from outside." He reasoned, looking over at the window nearest him; Pryzma and the rest of the crew followed his gaze and Elyxya spoke up soon after, "The afternoon is coming to its end, guys. We've had a pretty heavy day." She said dully, looking out at the Waterdeep forest in a longing manner; she began to day dream about being back in Myth Drannor with her family and friends...

"And it's not done yet, Elyxya." San-Raal cooed, placing a hand on the red-head's waist and looking over at the staircase that stood so mysteriously off to the side. Elyxya sighed and left the window sill with difficulty, "Come now friends, let's go and complete our quest; I'm growing tired of this charade, as I am sure you all are, and I'll be too happy to finally put an end to this mess." She declared grandly then drew her scimitar and stalked towards the staircase. "Amen to that." Will called after her and hurried his pace to join the determined woman. The whole team, in a surge of energy and pep, mounted the staircase and willingly gave themselves up to whatever waited beyond.

To greet the seven teammates at the top of the stairs were two robed figures, "Halt! You've no authorization!" One of them called harshly, untucking his hands from the thick sleeves of his robes. Without much warning, blue lightning fizzled and snaked through the man's fingers, then, within seconds, he raised his hands and shot his magic forth. The team didn't really have the chance to react because they had been caught off guard when reaching the top of stairs; the wizard's lightning hit the team full-force, burning and slicing at flesh and cloth. Meeks, who had jumped to the side a little after the searing blue flame had begun to assault the party, held out her marked hand to the two mages, "But we have the mark!" She screamed, shoving the dragon symbol towards the front. Unaffected, the mage who had cast the lighting spell removed his hood calmly while the one who accompanied him raised his hands to strike at the party. But this time, the little group was not inanimate!

Meeks and Elyxya jumped the mage who had removed his hood and the man screamed a muffled cry of pain as polearm and scimitar bit into his velvet robes and flesh. "C'thak si!" Pryzma hollered and snapped her hand forward in a shielding manner, "Akayu raya!" She then spat and a black ribbon shot from her palm and encircled the second wizard. The group watched (except Elyxya and Meeks who were busily wiping the blood off their weapons on the dead wizard's robes) as Pryzma yanked her hand back, cutting off the dark ribbon, and then raised it high in the air and flicked her wrist; the wizard entangled in the ribbon collapsed to the floor, dead. "I love that spell!" Pryzma cheered, rubbing her hands together; Nightshade patted her back and grinned proudly at her friend, "What is it called? I don't think I've ever seen it before." The thief asked inquisitively. Pryzma held up her finger triumphantly, "Ashkara's Death Ribbon spell." She said pointedly and winked at San-Raal who she could see staring out of the corner of her eye.

"That was a very rude greeting." Will declared, completely stupefied by the two mages' offensive behavior, "They didn't even care about the mark of Darkmoon -- they just attacked us like maniacs!" He rambled on to no one in particular. Masoj walked past the cleric and bent to look at the dead mages' bodies, "You wouldn't care for small talk either if your temple was being ransacked. And besides, how hard is it to recognize a team of seven armed people? I'm sure our descriptions are known all over the temple thanks to High-Priestess Sindel Flame." He said vindictively and removed a small ring from the hand of the mage that Pryzma had magically attacked. He held it up to the torchlight; it was made of a red stone that was, oddly, cool to the touch, "It's a fire-resistance ring," He said brightly and twitched his nose, "good thing we didn't cast a fireball spell at this guy. You were pretty damn lucky to have picked the Death Ribbon spell, Pryzma." Masoj congratulated the other drow and got to his feet with effort. He looked at the little ring a while, lost in thought, then he slipped it onto the ring finger of his right hand.

"You're gonna keep it?" Meeks asked him, coming over to fiddle with Masoj's finger; the mage looked down at her and shook his head, "You really have to get over the fact that you don't have a sustenance ring any more, love. You won't be getting any more rings until we're all out of this temple, understand?" He said kindly and gazed into the deep, ever-curious pools that were Meeks' black eyes, "But that doesn't mean that I can't have a ring." He finished. Meeks pouted and Masoj sighed.

"Anything on the other mage?" San-Raal asked, eyeing Masoj's new ring; Masoj searched the other body but found nothing, he then shook his head apologetically at his fellow mage. San-Raal rolled his eyes, "Fine." He choked and clutched his spellbook tighter. When the group had settled and were once again ready to go, a good look at the area was greatly needed. They were in a long corridor lined with about ten closed doors; all was silent. The party members looked at each other and frowned, the silence was unusual for such a big temple. Will figured the doors might block off storage rooms of some sort but then discarded the idea; why would Darkmoon need so much storage space? It made no sense. Perhaps they were chambers..but why such silence? Even prayer wasn't that quiet!

Nightshade, wary of this kind of stuff, tightened her grip on her short sword, "I don't like the looks of this. I think it may be a setup." She warned, keeping her voice low although the team had already been loud enough with the destruction of the two mages that the whole temple could have heard them coming. Unfortunately, Meeks (as usual), had already begun to venture out ahead, "See?!" She called back to the team, rather loudly, "There's nothing wrong with--" She stopped short when all ten doors opened and angry clerics tore out of each.

"I could be wrong!" Meeks yelped as the clerics surrounded the party.

***

Izzy sat, unmoving, in a cold metal chair. Rain and the illithids stood around her, silent as they always were. She wondered what they had in store for her, and not to mention when she would see her friends again. A profound sorrow swept over her and she felt lonely; the quiet illithids did not the feeling. She wondered if her team missed her --well, most of her team at least-- and wished she was back with them...even if it meant puting up with Pryzma and Nightshade's constant teasing.

"Elizabeth." Rain's watery voice entered the little thief's mind and she hurriedly picked out the voice's owner who stood off to her side. "What?!" She snapped annoyedly, wishing they would just leave her be. Rain did not relent, "Quiet! I will do the talking and you will do the listening from now on." He hissed at her angrily. Izzy wished she could move; she was under the effect of the illithids' paralysis spell and she hated it. Within seconds, a psychic blast hit Izzy's mind and it felt like claws sinking into her brain; she screamed for a moment and then heard Rain's voice again, strong and imperative, "Contact the members of your raiding party, all of them." He ordered.

Izzy found she could not resist the command, "Yes, master Rain." She breathed monotonously and closed her eyes; she focused her attention on her old friends...

***

The clerics that exited the chambers were about twenty in number and, as the team soon figured unfavorably, high-ranking. The warriors succeeded in striking down about four of them, but the priest and priestesses' hold spells were quicker and more effective. The seven friends were taken hastily to a room where they were all shackled to the wall and stripped of their backpacks, weapons and baubles. Frozen in the magical sense, none of them noticed their plight until the clerics' spells wore off.

"Shit!" Meeks and Elyxya cried at the same time when they examined the room and their obvious losses. Around them, Masoj and Will recovered from their numbness; Nightshade, Pryzma, and San-Raal were still under the effect of the spells. "Oh dear lord." Will whined in a half-whisper once he realized his predicament; Masoj almost began to cry, "My spellbook...it's gone!" He sniffed boyishly. A loud ringing sound came about and Will looked over to see Meeks banging her shackles on the wall behind her, "Jesus Christ! Frigging piece of crap! We're soooo screwed!!!" She raved, her teeth tight together and her face bright red. Elyxya kicked Meeks' leg to stop her from yelling, "Shhh! I hear voices outside," She whispered and Meeks clicked out of her fit for a moment to listen, "act like you're still paralyzed!" She urged her conscious teammates and stared straight ahead, forcing herself not to blink.

"Can you believe how dumb these guys were to walk the living quarters?" A husky female voice said, approaching the doorway to where the team was held captive. A male chuckle sounded, followed by a comment, "I really don't care! Important thing is that Dran's going to be very happy to see these fools." He said as the two appeared in the doorway. They were clerics of Darkmoon, and the team recognized their voice; they were the two clerics that the team had first run into when entering Darkmoon: Nadia and Joril. The crew had not destroyed them, they had simply locked them out for the time being. "There's one more drow than there was when we first saw them, hunh?" Joril stated more than asked, examining the team carefully. Nadia tossed back her blond hair and sneered at the shackled warriors, "Brigands, mercenary scum. How dare they attack us? And on Khelben's orders!" She fumed. Joril looked away from the prisoners and took Nadia's shoulders, "Settle down, I'm sure everything'll be worked out. Now let's go get Dran." He said and the two turned and left.

***

"I knew you'd get em!" Sindel cheered gleefully, jumping about at Dran's side. The two waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs leading to Dran's chambers; they awaited the word from the cell guards to go pay a visit to Sindel's ex-party. Dran Draggore smiled widely, his heart beating at about a thousand miles an hour, "It seems the wait will not be as long as I expected." He said brightly, "Perhaps today will be the day I rid myself of my misfortune." He added, hoping sincerely that that day had finally come. From around the corner appeared two clerics in blue and red robes; they looked grave.

"What is it?" Dran asked them when they had come near; Sindel leaned heavily on his arm, her feet constantly moving below her. The female cleric shook her head, "They make me so angry..." She began, looking up at Dran hopefully, her eyes filled with pained frustration. The male cleric patted her shoulder, "Pardon Nadia, my lord; she is rather affected by Darkmoon's situation at the moment." He cast a sorry look at Nadia, who scowled deeply, and returned his gaze to Dran, "You may follow us to where the raiding party is being held captive.". Dran nodded and followed the two clerics, Sindel pulling him along behind her.

***

"We have to get out of here!" Elyxya declared seconds after Nadia and Joril had left. She was filled with sudden panic at the thought of Dran coming to see' them all; she didn't want to die! She looked over to her left and Meeks nodded her approval; Will and Masoj didn't look so revved up, "And just how do you propose we do that, Elyxya?" Masoj asked cynically. Elyxya frowned; Masoj was right. At the other end of the room, the rest of the crew woke up from their magical slumber. "Aaahhh crap!" Cried San-Raal, realizing he'd been robbed of his magical things; at his side, Pryzma rolled her eyes at the sight of the crew's predicament, "Great." She spat. Nightshade frowned and tried not to think about the horrible situation they were all in, "What happened?" She asked basically.

"Paralysis spells." Meeks said, mispronouncing the word. Nightshade pursed her lips, "Ah." She said after a bit. Elyxya's voice was shrill when she spoke, "Dran's coming! We have to get out of here...now!" She cried, thrashing about in her shackles. Nightshade licked her parched lips and looked up at the metal braces on her wrists, "I can get us out of here." She said decisively. Instantly, everyone in the team looked over at her and smiled, their eyes aglow. "I need something about the size of a pin." She said methodically, eyeing the crew for such an item. Beside her, Pryzma fumbled with her ear with a shaky hand, "I got it, babe. My earing; it's real skinny." She said and finally pulled the thing off her ear then handed it to Nightshade carefully so that she wouldn't drop it. Nightshade pinched the small piece of metal between her thumb and forefinger and inserted the thing into the left shackle's lock. "Now the trick is to find--" She paused and tinkered minutely as the whole team watched impatiently, "--the little...uh...--" She paused again and squinted, "--thing!" She said finally and the lock clicked open. The entire team sighed a homogenous sigh of relief.

***

Sindel's expression was of pure glee, "Are you going to kill them?" She asked devilishly as she, Dran, and the two other clerics descended yet another flight of stairs. Dran's eyes went absent for moment, "What kind of a question is that?" He said calmly and looked over at Sindel who grinned up at him, "What would you do?" He asked her; she laughed throatily and yelped a cry of excitement. The little group of deceptively powerful clerics stalked through the spires of the temple at a fast pace, the spirit of freedom growing strong in their hearts. At last! Darkmoon would rid itself of a costly direct attack force; what a day this would be!

They walked through the hallway of high-ranking clerics' rooms and arrived at an intersection where a left turn was possible. They went left and walked by a room bristling with weaponry and other things, and then Nadia and Joril lead them to the room where Sindel's ex-team was being held. When the inside of the room was in view, Nadia and Joril stopped short, "What the--" Joril mumbled and jogged up to the cell. Behind him, Dran and Sindel became worried, "What? What's wrong?" Sindel called, running behind Joril and Nadia towards the fire-lit room. Dran's eyes flared when he walked over to the room and peered inside of it.

"They're GONE ?!?" He screamed at Nadia and Joril as he towered over them. The two clerics whimpered and got down on their knees, "They were there when we left to get you!" Nadia cried, holding her hands together pleadingly up at the angered high-priest above her. Joril swallowed audibly, "She's not lying, my lord! They were there!" He added, pointing to the shackles. Dran looked over at Sindel; Sindel shrugged her shoulders lightly and then looked down at the groveling Nadia and Joril, "How could they have gotten away?" She asked them, her voice somewhat less edgy than Dran's had been. Nadia shook her head violently, "I really don't know, mistress!" She whimpered, her rosy cheeks tear stained now. Sindel turned to look at Dran; the high-priest looked back at where they had come from, "They're beginning to upset me, Sindel." Dran began, forcing his voice to soothe, "Your team is really beginning to upset me, Sindel." He swept around, leaving the three other clerics behind, and left the room hastily. 

Sindel looked down at Nadia and Joril, and then turned and sped after Dran, "Wait!" She called after him but he kept walking anyway. 


	19. Chapter 18

CHAPTER XVIII 

A mind Game

"Holy mother of god!" Meeks gasped quietly and slapped her hand over her mouth as Dran, Sindel and two other clerics stalked by the small room that she and her team were hidden in. After Nightshade had so craftily unlocked everybody from their shackles, the crew had darted out of the room and had taken refuge in a small chamber just around the corner. Luck abiding, it happened to be the chamber where all their belongings had been taken.

When the small band of clerics had passed, the team could breathe again. "Why didn't we just run instead of hiding in here like sitting ducks?" Pryzma asked, keeping her voice down so that the clerics next door wouldn't hear any commotion coming from outside. Elyxya looked around the room and began gathering her belongings, "Sure Pryzma, and run right into Dran and the others!" She said sarcastically, picking up her scimitar and clutching it tightly; Pryzma pursed her lips and nodded, "You have a point there." She decided and got to her own retrieval of goods. As quietly as possible, the entire gang scooped up their things and got ready to go. "Where's my packsack?" Nightshade asked with a pout; she scanned the room once more and the others mimicked her. The bag was gone; "Those jerks probably took it cause it was full of goodies." She said with a deep frown. Nightshades definition of goodies' was; good lock pics, stone-to-flesh dust bags, knickknacks she had stolen along the way, and other items that might have come in handy during her adventure. Unfortunately for her, now was not the time to mourn; the team had to get moving as quickly as possible.

The clerics' voices in the other room began to grow loud and angry, it was time for the group of warriors to get going! "Let's go!" Will urged, creeping out of the small room and into the hallway. The team followed him around the corner just ahead and the they found themselves back within the hallway of cleric bed chambers, where they had all been paralyzed and captured a few moments earlier. Wordlessly, the crew hurried through the corridor, unassailed this time. "Why didn't those mean clerics attack us again?" Meeks asked, catching her breath and leaning up against a wall once the crew had reached the place where lay the bodies of the two dead mages. Masoj shook his head and looked fearfully down at the bodies, "They probably thought we were Dran and the other priests; I honestly don't think they would have jumped their leader." He said softly; his eyes searched the area nervously, Masoj was not a fan of the feeling of being tracked down. 

"Maybe we should go the opposite way we came from on teleporting here." Elyxya suggested warily, tugging on Meeks' wrist. Nightshade nodded quickly, her visage was somewhat pained, "Good idea. I really don't like being so close to where Dran and the others are; we better move fast, I don't know if they'll be coming back this way." She said and began marching down the staircase just ahead. The group followed in her footsteps and found themselves in the large room with two windows; outside, dusk was settling. The little team tore down the hallway they had previously appeared in at top speed. They stopped short, falling over each other, when the hallway branched off to a room filled with shifting walls. The golden-hued walls moved back and forth, appearing and disappearing as they pleased; it was impossible to tell was beyond them. "Somebody care to explain what's going on here?" Elyxya asked back at her squad, holding her arms out at her sides in a protective manner to hold her team back. Behind her, three groans sounded -- those of the team's mages; "Dran doesn't play nice." Pryzma commented, her voice filled with stress. San-Raal came up to stand beside Elyxya, and the two looked out at the constantly shifting room, "It's an illusionary maze! You all realize, of course, that we might be here for a while." He said grimly; Elyxya gave the mage a discouraged look and San-Raal patted her hand in response. At their side, Meeks was examining the strange maze with a twinkle in her eyes, "I'll go first if you guys don't mind." She opted happily and started forward. At that moment, Masoj's hands grasped her shoulders and roughly pulled her back, "I don't think so, love. For one thing, we don't know what could be lurking in there. It would be rather sad to lose a fighter at this point in our quest...and not to mention painful for some of us." He said with a hint of kindness in his usually cold voice.

"Wait a minute, friends!" Will gasped from beside Nightshade and Pryzma; he was fumbling about his robes for something. The team looked at him for a moment, and then Pryzma got bored, "What are you looking for?" She asked the cleric dully. Will pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his robes, the edges of the thing were burned off, "This! It's from way back when we had just started our adventure. You all remember the secret passage that Nightshade had found right after we had freed that little chained halfling? Well, I found a map there and kept it -- maybe it's what we're looking for." He said optimistically, his dreary mood receding now that he had made himself useful. Masoj was not impressed, "A map?" He asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at Will, "Will, the walls shift constantly!" He added. The team's cleric shook his head at the lithe drow, "Oh for god's sake, wizard! Think a little; perhaps there's a pattern to follow!" He retorted smugly, proud of himself for having thwarted Masoj's intellect; beside Masoj, Meeks felt the mage's muscles tighten -- she giggled, Masoj was so cute when he was mad!

Non-chalantly, Will smiled at Masoj and took a look at his map, "There's no indication as to what this map pertains to, but I'm sure it's worth a try!" He said and showed the paper to his teammates. The map was a blur of barely distinguishable directions and the party seemed doubtful; there was no sense running into something like the illusionary maze and getting trapped there like a bunch of fools. It was silent as the crew examined the map and then Masoj, still frustrated, objected once more, "Oh please! It's crazy to think that this is the right map; do you think Dran Draggore keeps an illusionary maze around here all the time?" He cried impatiently, "Of course not! The only reason why it's here is because we're here; it's common sense!" He argued, glaring at Will. Will's bottom lip quivered and he fumbled to find a response to Masoj's stinging words, "Well..." He trailed off, gesturing with his hand uselessly, "...I suppose you're right." He breathed almost inaudibly, lowering his gaze. 

"Ha!" Masoj cried, smiling proudly at the crew; they didn't smile back. Masoj understood what he had done; he had ruined the team's hope for an easy way out, and all that in an effort to show his worth. The wizard's smile faded and he hung his head, "Sorry." He said meekly and looked over at Meeks; the warrior was smiling, "You're smart!" She whispered to him, even though the whole team heard it. Masoj exhaled loudly. "I'm sure he meant well, people." San-Raal said from beside Elyxya, "He may have saved us from making a pretty stupid move." He smirked at his fellow mage and, to the side, Will rolled his eyes.

They all stared at the illusionary maze for a while before daring to speak again. "I really think we should get in there now." Nightshade urged, her voice still tense; she kept looking back at the hallway they had emerged from, "Like, now." She restated. The words took their effect and the team ventured forward cautiously. Before them, the walls moved from side to side and disappeared at intervals. "What if one of them hits us?" San-Raal asked, eyeing the shifting structures suspiciously; he sidestepped into Meeks who had decided to go the opposite way as he. Pryzma jumped up at his side, "I don't know! I wouldn't be surprised if it hurt, though." She said with an audible gulp. The more the team moved forward, the more they came to realize that the room was enormous -- and that the walls did indeed follow a pattern, making the group's passage a little easier. Will's voice sounded far off when he spoke, for a wall had appeared directly between him and the rest of the team, "I told you there would be a pattern!" He cheered; the wall that blocked him disappeared and he could join the team again. Masoj muttered something.

"This isn't too bad! We can do this!" Elyxya called happily, dragging San-Raal by the hand along with her. And then, the inevitable happened; three figures appeared along with the walls. "I knew we wouldn't be alone!" Masoj whined, trying to pick a spot where the walls never appeared or moved to, a place where he could fight without worrying about the maze's incessant shifting. The rest of the team looked for a similar spot; all except Will, Meeks and Elyxya who continued to move around. As the figures came into view, approaching stealthily and swiftly, they could be identified as mages -- all three of them. Will, Elyxya and Meeks tried to keep a safe enough distance from them to then ambush them when the opportunity came. The mages separated and went to the left, right and center; so did the team's mages. 

Pryzma blinked when a green robed wizard came right for her and shot a fireball at her. The drowess yelped and jumped to the side, giving away her safe' position and puting herself in jeopardy amongst the shifting walls. "Innuend, Phias!" She yelled back at the mage who came after her; she launched a fireball of her own. The wizard snapped his fingers and disappeared, to then reappear directly in front of Pryzma; the woman's eyes widened and she gasped, drawing her sword out from its scabbard in fumbling haste. The wizard drew a slender dagger from his robes and jumped Pryzma; the two hit the floor in a heap, and Pryzma thought it odd that a wizard would so deliberately engage in physical combat. Coming up slowly behind the two, was Will; struggling with the shifting walls.

The wizard launched a volley of magical missiles at San-Raal, the drow snapped his hands out and created a wall of force; the magical missiles dissipated into the wall and gave San-Raal a small amount of time to counteract the other mage's spell. He waved his hands in an intricate pattern and focused his attention on his red-robed opponent; when he would cast his spell, his wall would disappear and he would be once again exposed. Unfortunately for San-Raal, his opponent was no fool, he knew what spell the drow was preparing; he spat sharp words and pointed at San-Raal's magical wall, a disintegrate spell! The wall crumbled to dust and San-Raal fought to keep his attention on the mage; why did he pick such a long spell?! The other wizard was coming on extremely fast!

The third of Darkmoon's wizards was not so lucky. When he headed for the center, where Masoj waited, he was greeted by two extra opponents. He hurried to cast an icestorm spell that would affect all three of his nemesis, but the others were quicker. Meeks and Nightshade appeared from behind a shifting wall and tackled the wizard to the ground, disrupting his incantation; sword and halberd bit into the mage's flesh. Masoj clapped proudly as the mage's lifeless body slumped to the ground. 

Pryzma grabbed a handful of her opponent's green robes and pulled him off of her, grunting with the effort. She drew up her sword and plunged it down, hoping for a quick kill; the other mage's dagger came up and block the swipe, deflecting Pryzma's sword out wide. The deflection gave the other mage a chance to get to his feet, which he did...but not for long. Pryzma curled herself up into a ball and held up her sword in defense as she waited for the mage to cast another spell at her, but instead, she heard a gurgling sound and the mage collapsed atop her. "Ugh!" She groaned as she pushed the body off of her and looked up to see Will's smiling visage. "You're most welcome, Pryzma." Will said evenly.

"Elyxya!" San-Raal cried, catching a fleeting glimpse of the warrior's flaming hair somewhere amongst the nearest shifting wall; his spell was coming to an end! The other wizard turned, in a slip of mind, just as Elyxya appeared behind him. San-Raal thanked the gods for having given him this chance; he completed his spell and directed its energy towards his inattentive opponent. The mage noticed his mistake too late and began to suffer his rather dramatic death; Elyxya and San-Raal both watched, one in awe and the other in pride, as the mage's flesh burned from his bones and crumbled to the ground along with the bones themselves a short time after. Elyxya stalked over to San-Raal and hugged him tightly, "Effective, but, too much show." She commented and nuzzled the mage's ear. 

The team gathered amongst the predictable walls and made sure everyone was alright. They forced themselves to hurry along the maze, hoping that no other impediments would come up and they would finally find a safe place to rest for the night. The mages needed to study and the warriors wanted their rest. When the group reached the other end of the enormous illusionary maze, the whole thing disappeared at their backs, "It's all gone!" Meeks cried almost disappointedly, noticing that even the three mages' bodies were gone. The group looked back from where they had come and beheld the large empty room that now loomed there, "Oh... now that's frustrating." Will gasped. He turned, as did the rest of the group, and faced a staircase going up. "Notice we run into a lot of staircases?" Elyxya commented, a bit annoyed at the thought. No one bothered to answer and the group ascended the carpeted stairs.

At the top was another mage, but Elyxya and Meeks disposed of him rather quickly. Beyond, there was another series of ten clerical chambers; the team knew better not to strut through the hall again. "We can't just return downstairs, we've done all we can down there." Elyxya stated quietly, seeing the problem. Meeks frowned, "But if we walk through there, they'll jump us like last time." She whined back. "How about we fight them one way or the other?" Nightshade said finally; the group looked back at her in curiosity, "Well, if we have to fight them, then why not sooner than later?" She said matter-of-factly. The group, with difficulty, accepted the thief's logic and Will cleared his throat to call attention, "Let's just go. Pick a room and just go." He said apocalyptically. Every team member drifted off to a room and knocked on the door, except Meeks who just barged in; there were no answers. "There's no one in here!" Meeks declared, coming out of the empty bed chamber. The others opened the doors and stood ready for a surprise attack, but no such thing occurred.

"Maybe they're guest chambers!" San-Raal suggested, somewhat perplexed. Pryzma came up beside him and yawned, "That's just as well. I'm tired and I want some rest; if we keep the doors shut, I think we'll be alright for the night." She declared to everyone. The group agreed and picked chambers. "I don't feel right sleeping up here; I'm so paranoid that clerics will come and deliver us to Dran and Sindel." Elyxya said quietly to San-Raal as the two stepped into the chamber just across from Nightshade's. San-Raal closed the door behind them and faced Elyxya, "We'll be fine." He said with a reassuring smile. Elyxya looked around the quaint little room, "Privacy, at last!" She said triumphantly and looked up at San-Raal; she rested a hand on the mage's slender chest and drew closer to him, "Did you really want to sleep?" She asked him with a childish pout. San-Raal's pupils dilated and his heart raced, "N-not if you didn't intend on doing so." He said stiffly. Elyxya smiled and took San-Raal's spellbook from his slender hands to then deposit it on a small chair off to the side, "Good." She cooed.

***

To the entire team, sleeping or not, came a telepathic message. An innocent, familiar female voice pleaded loud and clear in the group's mind:

"You've all come back!" She gasped, "I am being held prisoner and I need your help, follow my directions and you will find me!" The message said.

Will, awake with a guilty conscience, recognized the voice all too clearly, "Izzy!" He cried. Something had to be done!


	20. Chapter 19

CHAPTER XIX 

Child's Play

"I think we all heard it." Masoj said calmly; his nervous glancing got worse after the telepathic incident concerning Izzy. Beside him, Meeks grasped the mage's slender hand and nodded at her team, "It woke me up. And it was Izzy alright! I could never forget that little voice of hers." She commented thoughtfully, omitting the word annoying' for Will's sake. The team had gathered outside their borrowed chambers and now stood in the hallway, conversing as quietly as possible about the previous night's odd occurrence. 

Nightshade and Pryzma's expressions were rock solid and unbelievably uninviting, "I say it's a trap." Nightshade said shortly. Pryzma clutched the thief's thick cloak as she stepped up to stand beside her, "She's right. I don't want us doing anything stupid at this point in our mission; Izzy, if that was indeed Izzy, is hopeless -- and not to mention useless." The drowess said, adding in her two cents in an effort to discourage the team from setting up a rescue mission for Izzy. The two friends had a point, but morality did not let lose its clenching grip on the rest of the team. Will was first and foremost in the save Izzy' campaign, "That's an atrocious thing to say, you two! Izzy is here and alive, obviously, and I can feel her presence here! If there's a way to take her home with us, than it has to be done!" He cried, letting his voice grow passionate at the subject. 

"Okay, say we save Izzy; what if we walk into our deaths by going off and facing Dran? What if she dies with us? Wouldn't it be our fault then?" San-Raal proposed, playing on the cleric's feelings; he wasn't sure going after Izzy was such a good idea, Dran was too playful' when it came to mind games. Since the morning, San-Raal and Elyxya had not let go of one-another; they held hands and clutched each-other constantly. Even though the couple thought they had indeed shared a moment of privacy, the entire team knew what had happened the night before. Will shook his head violently and made chopping gestures with his hands, "No! Would it be any smarter of us to just leave her wherever she is to die?! I'd rather her fight with us than decay in some dank dungeon!" He rambled on. The team begun to get the idea that they would be Izzy-chasing' by the end of the day; they considered mutiny against Will, but that was very stupid and unthinkable.

"Since when can Izzy use telepathy?" Elyxya asked rather smartly, the little thief had never done it before. Will was quick to answer, making the valid question sound like something an idiot might ask, "It's probably a talent she developed but didn't find the proper time to use." He explained hastily.

Nightshade and Pryzma were still not pleased, and their stubbornness grew with every moment, "I still say it's a trap. A great, big trap that we're all running head-on into!" Nightshade exclaimed and folded her arms over her chest. Pryzma grinded her teeth at Will when the cleric made a face at Nightshade, "Why won't you listen to your brain for once instead of your heart! Don't you see the mistake we're all making?" She cried, her voice cracking with strain and desperation; she gave every member of the team a pleading look and received a bunch of blank stares in return, "Damn you!" She fumed, her small fists clenching at her side and around Nightshade's cloak. 

The team grew silent for quite some time as everyone thought the same impossible thing: why not split up? The option was a no-no; the team needed a cleric for healing and nourishment and a thief for tricky situations -- those two couldn't be split up fairly. And anyway, weren't they all working to reach the same goal? So saving Izzy was a sidetrack, who cares!? If it kept the team together until they reached the end of their mission, that was all that mattered; and everyone knew that very well. The crew looked at each-other and realized that they didn't want to be split up, not at all; they were a team and they would remain one until death do them part. They had grown to appreciate each-other since the beginning of their mission and the didn't care to lose another of their small number for something as stupid as a disagreement. They would do what they would have to, whatever the consequences, for they were one now.

"Let's go get the little wench." Nightshade and Pryzma sighed simultaneously, bringing a big smile onto Will's lips and causing the rest of the team to get ready for one of the final legs of their mission. 

***

Rain paced around the hypnotized Izzy and watched' through the girl's mind as her old crew fought about taking the bait. He scolded himself for not having chosen Pryzma or Nightshade as his targets for mind manipulation; he stood impressed at the two's persuasively pragmatic arguments. If the team decided to forget about the orange-haired girl that was now in his power, Rain would have the girl perform another telepathic message that would surely bring guilt to at least one of the team mates' minds.

Suddenly, the two persuasive women gave out and the team shifted into gear. Rain wiggled his four fingers with glee and sent another psychic suggestion to the orange-haired thief who sat immobile in front of him; it was time to start reeling it in.

***

"Follow the hallway and turn to your right." Izzy's voice piped happily in the team's mind. The team stalked forward, feeling as though they were playing some sort of childish game. "How do you know where to go?" Elyxya asked Izzy out loud; she had a sick feeling that Izzy could watch them from wherever she was being held captive. The little thief's perky voice answered Elyxya's question in the entire team's minds, "I saw where they took me when they brought me to this place." She responded, "The clerics weren't very nice to me." She added seconds after. The words oh shut up' came in a hushed whisper from somewhere in the back of the team. The group ended the hallway and turned to their right; there was a set of inter-joining rooms just beyond and another turn immediately after that. 

"Where now?" Meeks asked, enjoying the little hunt like a child might a game of hide-and-seek. "Keep walking past two of the side chambers and enter the third one to your left." Izzy's voice instructed curtly. Cautiously, the group walked past the two side chambers and turned into the third one to the left. The room was small, and there was a door off to the far left corner. When the team stepped inside the chamber, the exit behind them became magically blocked off by a clear forcefield. "Argh!" Meeks and Elyxya both yelped, drawing their weapons and turning away from the wall to face a bunch of red-skinned creatures that resembled large worms with humanoid torsos. The creatures had just appeared out of nowhere and now there was about ten of them altogether, armed with spears and hissing annoyingly.

"Izzy!" Elyxya called out loud but received no answer; she raised her sword and prepared to fight the ugly creatures that moved in around the crew. "They're salamanders!" Pryzma declared with a shout as one of them poked its spear at her, "Hit em with anything but fire! They're from the elemental plane of Fire, it won't affect them!" She drew her sword and backhanded its blade across one of the salamanders' chests, it screeched a screech resembling that of the mantises'. The ten salamanders gathered around the crew and picked their targets, then they began to slash with the spiny tip of their spears. Fortunately for the team, the beings were not very quick; many of them were dispatched with spells such as lightning bolt and cone of cold, and the others were simply outsmarted by the team fighters' quick maneouvres. Like the mantises from the Test of Faith, the salamanders' corpses dissipated into nothingness. As far as wounds went, the team suffered few; Pryzma's arm was slashed and quickly bandaged, Will's hip was cut but not deeply enough to call it serious, and San-Raal's hand was bruised after a run-in with a salamander's face.

"What was that?" Meeks asked, watching the salamanders disappear around her. No one answered the warrior's question. "No, now that wasn't sent to destroy us!" Masoj spat sarcastically, wiping blood off his dirty spellbook; he sighed impatiently and, realizing it would be stained forever, smeared the blood on the cover in a symbol of exasperation. Meeks saw the mage whining again and patted his backside lightly, "Quit your whinin', Masoj. I'm a mess too." She said soothingly and pointed to her blood-stained clothes and chainmail; Masoj looked down at her and wondered how it was that she could be happy living such a simple life...it was because she was a simple person, he told himself, and bent to kiss her lips quickly. 

"Go through the door at the back." Came Izzy's voice again, as though nothing had happened. Elyxya, who had decided to do the communicating with the trapped thief, spoke up loud and clear, "We were just attacked by a ton of salamanders, Izzy." She declared in a not-so-happy tone. Izzy said nothing for a moment, then she gasped, "I -- I didn't know! There was awful contortion in the telepathy link and I lost you guys for a moment." She explained. Elyxya looked over at everyone and they mainly shrugged; all except Nightshade and Pryzma, "She's setting us up." Nightshade said darkly, Pryzma wiped the blood from her blade, "What help would she have been anyway?" The drowess grumbled. Izzy's voice pretended not to hear. The team began to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Hey!" Will called from the other end of the room; the cleric was pointing at the exit, "The magical barrier is gone! Maybe that's what was killing Izzy's link." He opted and came over to the others of his gang. The group looked and considered the idea; nothing was certain anymore. Without further dialogue, the group opened the door at the back of the room and stepped in, closing the thing behind them. The stood before a long, spiraling staircase; "Another staircase." Elyxya groaned, figuring the clerics of Darkmoon must get great exercise around the building. They ascended the stairs despite Elyxya's protesting legs and Izzy's voice met them at the top, "You're almost there!" She cheered, "Go straight and you'll arrive inside this really big room; instead of going in it though, turn left and go straight...you'll see a great big gold door with odd symbols on it," Her high voice wavered, "That's where I am!" She finished and her voice took its leave.

The crew did exactly what they were told and headed down the hall towards a golden-hued door that shone like there was no tomorrow. Their pace slowed to a cautious step, and they observed all the gorgeous tapestry and things that hung on the walls. Inside a small niche off to the left side, Nightshade's eyes fell on a red-gemstone statue of a dragon, "Oooooh my...it's so pretty..." She cooed, her dark eyes going round; he reached out to touch it but Will's hand shot back and held her where she was. "Stealing is not a good thing, Nightshade; especially stealing from a temple...no matter how awful the ruler of the building is." He scolded the older woman. Nightshade glared at him for a moment and then returned her eyes to the statuette, "I bet that thing is worth a lot in a market." She went on, dying to touch the emerald eyes that shone beautifully. Will shook his head.

***

"Thank you very much, miss Elizabeth." Rain's watery voice said shortly in Izzy's mind. The little thief jerked out of her hypnosis with start; she remembered nothing since she had fought with Rain, "W--what's happening?" She asked drowsily. In the corner of her eye, she could see the illithids busying about the room; they seemed hastier than before and she wondered what was going on. 

"The time of our battle for Darkmoon is at hand, Elizabeth, and you have served us well." Rain continued calmly, stepping behind the trapped thief's chair, "But of course, you realize, we do not need more enemies. So, I am forced to make sure that you don't act up." He finished. Izzy wasn't sure she understood, "But---" She began but her words became screams as Rain sent an excruciatingly painful psychic blast her way.

***

"This is a trap, trap, trap, trap, trap!" Nightshade sang to herself as the crew gathered before the golden door. Odd, carved symbols covered its surface; not a sound could be heard from inside. Masoj and San-Raal both leaned forward and examined the carvings, trying to decipher the language and meaning. Elyxya and Meeks poised their weapons nervously, "What are they doing?" Elyxya asked impatiently, desperate to get Izzy and run away from the creepy spires of Darkmoon. Meeks shrugged non-comitally, "Reading..but they seem to be having some trouble." She giggled at the thought of a mage who couldn't read and Masoj looked back at her and shot her an evil glare. "Oh my god!" Meeks declared after taking a quick glance at the gold door. The two wizards looked back and frowned. The little warrior stepped forward and planted herself between the mages, "No way!" She gasped and touched the door lightly.

The team began to get worried and Will began to lose his confidence, "What is it?" The cleric asked; he didn't like seeing Meeks worried...that meant something really bad was going to happen. Elyxya put her hand on Meeks' shoulder, "Well?" She urged her friend. Meeks whipped back to look at her team, her eyes watered and her lower lip quivered, "We're so dead!" She cried and immediately began to cry great big tears that fell to the plush carpet. Masoj came to her side and hugged her tightly, "What are you talking about?" He asked, stroking her thick black hair soothingly. The little warrior sniffled against the mage's robes, "T-the writing...I know it...I-it's illithid!" She cried and began to sob again, drenching poor Masoj's shoulder. A gulp sounded over the team and Masoj spoke once more, "What does the scripture say?" He asked softly. Meeks looked up at him and frowned, "The w-what?" She asked dumbly; Masoj held back a sigh and rephrased his question, "The writing, love, what does the writing say?" He watched as the water came to the fighter's eyes once more but he held her gaze to stop her from bursting out again. Meeks swallowed thickly before responding, "It s-says that beyond that door is where the illithids are!" She said and buried her face in Masoj's chest.

The team saw what was the problem with illithids; they were highly intelligent, highly powerful creatures. What they didn't see though, was why they bothered Meeks so much. The group figured it was because Meeks was weak-minded and would not be able to suppress any of the mind-flayers' attacks -- she would be utterly useless if she wasn't protected! "So...does that mean Izzy's not in there?" Will asked guiltily, trying his best to ignore the looks he was getting from Pryzma and Nightshade. Elyxya gave Masoj and Meeks a sympathetic glance, "If she's in there, she's well protected! Although I can't see why she would be." She said, apprehensive now. Nightshade and Pryzma's voices rang out in a singing tone, "Trap! Trap! Trap, trap, trap, trap!".


	21. Chapter 20

CHAPTER XX 

Advanced Level

The golden door creaked open before the seven-member group. "I don't wanna go!" Meeks whimpered and clutched Masoj's arm. Inside were five doors at the back of an enormous room, the middle door was open; the soft rustling of robes was the only sound to be heard. "It's them!" Meeks whispered loudly and pulled Masoj's sleeve roughly back; the mage frowned and pushed Meeks ahead, "They're probably only clerics." He offered in an attempt to make the warrior feel better, although he knew that no clerics were actually in the room ahead. Elyxya's tone had darkened somewhat from its original optimistic state, "Perhaps we should be protected before we go...sounds fair?" She looked at the crew's mages, "How about some paralysis-protection spells?" She asked, none too timidly. Pryzma, San-Raal and Masoj gathered around the crew morosely; they began to chant and raised their hands out to their sides to encircle the group with their web of magic. The mages found it difficult to concentrate knowing that illithids awaited them in the five chambers ahead -- and besides, they felt as though their minds were being tapped.

The spell completed, the entire group was protected from any paralyzing attacks; which was important, seeing as the illithids first offensive move was to paralyze their opponents. "What if we make ourselves invisible?" Will asked from beside Pryzma, desperate to get as much advantage over the mind-flayers as possible. Pryzma nudged he cleric and shook her head, "Nope. They're too smart...isn't that obvious by now, Will?" She asked rather irritably; the cleric rolled his eyes and then looked away. Meeks' loud voice sounded again, only to add to the party's nervousness, "They're listening!" She cried, her face panic-stricken and her dark eyes locked on the inside of the room ahead. 

***

"They're here." Dran declared disdainfully and turned to face Sindel, "They're with Rain and the illithids; if they don't finish them off...then we'll have to fight. I am not sending any of my clerics into battle." His eyes showed concern and a tinge of fear. Sindel paced the length of Dran's personal chambers, "You're just one man and I'm just one woman -- how are we supposed to go against them after the leveled the rest of the temple?" She asked with a deep frown on her face; she looked over at Dran and noted a twinkle in the man's emerald eyes, "Right, it's just one man and one woman..." The cleric trailed off, seemingly thinking about something else altogether. Sindel walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders, "You really don't want Khelben to win this one, do you?" She asked and Dran glared at her, "I'm just as dumbfounded as you about how my ex-party could have made it this far, but I beg of you not to lose hope; there's got to be a secret weapon we haven't dished out...right?" The high-priestess piped, holding Dran's gaze firmly. 

The High-Priest of Temple Darkmoon smirked suddenly, "But of course, my dear, there's always a secret weapon."

***

When the team finally decided to enter the fire-lit room, the four doors at the back that were closed opened up and illithids piled out. The illithids did not bother casting paralysis spells...they had indeed been listening. Each party member darted for one of the doors and began fighting the mind-flayers like reckless fools. Izzy had to be found! Meeks, who had run off into the battle on her own, bolted towards the middle of the five doors (the open one) and started to enter the room beyond. The slow-witted fighter gasped as a tall, golden-robed illithid stepped in her way, "Rain!" Meeks shouted at the creature, her knees growing weak. The illithid wiggled his fingers in delight, "So we meet again!" The creature's voice entered Meeks' mind.

Pryzma and nightshade were cast away from the doorway they had picked to ambush by six angry illithids, "Help us Lloth!" Pryzma called to her goddess as she drew her blade and readied herself for the attack she knew was coming. Nightshade's jaw dropped she summoned her magic, which she had only used once before during the whole adventure; the thief cast a lightning bolt spell that zapped past Pryzma's arm and hit head-on the group of six illithids. "Yes!" She cried as two of the creatures, not quick enough to move, crumbled to the ground a few feet away. Pryzma had already driven herself amongst the illithids and was thrashing madly with her sword; the creatures were unarmed.

All the way across the room, Masoj and Will squared off against another group of six mind-flayers. Unlike the others that Pryzma and Nightshade were fighting, these illithids made the first move; they simultaneously launched psychic blasts at their two assailants. Masoj and Will screamed in pain; the blast was enormous and horribly painful, it felt like claws were trying to tear their minds apart. When would the shock subside?!

Having a more plausible chance of winning, San-Raal and Elyxya met with a smaller group of armed mind-flayers. The creatures did not cry out when they charged ahead, whirling their slender sabers dextrously. "Run!" Elyxya screamed and grabbed San-Raal's sweaty hand, pulling him with her as she tore past the charging mind-flayers and into the room beyond. She had about two seconds before the illithids turned and met up with her, but she had the chance to look around the room; Izzy was there! The little thief sat on a chair and her head drooped onto her chest...the rescue mission had worked! Well...sorta, she corrected herself as she turned along with San-Raal and faced the angry group of illithids. 

One of the creatures wrapped its arms around Pryzma and held her in a bear-hug; not an affectionate one, but a fatal one. "Pryzma!" Nightshade cried and burned to help her friend, but found herself unable to do so with three illithids circling her. The creature's grasp was amazingly strong, the drowess could hardly breathe! "I knew this was a trap!" Nightshade cried out to whomever care to hear.

Rain drew out a gleaming saber and held it out horizontally before Meeks; the warrior raised her halberd, "Call them all off! We are here to stop a great wrong!" She dared to yell, not realizing that Rain could hear her think. A tremendous energy wave coming from Rain swept over Meeks, but, even though her brain was wracked with agony, she gritted her teeth and swung her polearm -- and missed. Rain's watery voice talked to her once more, "What wrong do you speak of? This is a temple, Meeks." It stated matter-of-factly. Meeks didn't care for chit-chat; she jumped the mind-flayer and threw him to the ground. The two thrashed and wriggled away from one-another, always keeping a sword's length between them.

When the pain left, Will and Masoj were weak as kittens; their six opponents prepared for another blast. Without even thinking it through, the two turned tail and ran from the room, all the way back into the hallway outside -- and further still.

"Izzy!" Elyxya called but the thief did not answer. Ignoring the chasing illithids, Elyxya and San-Raal ran to the chair where the girl sat. "It's too late." San-Raal breathed, tipping Izzy's lifeless arm; he felt sick to his stomach. Elyxya screeched in frustration and realized that this whole rescue mission had been a trap orchestrated by the illithids, "No!" She protested and sneered. Bright flames erupted from San-Raal's fingertips and spiraled out at the armed mind-flayers; one was harmed and the others nimbly darted away. "This is hopeless!" San-Raal yelled at Elyxya's side, preparing for another spell, "There's too many and they're too strong!" His words sounded dark and apocalyptic to his beloved teammate.

Past Rain, Meeks could see Elyxya and San-Raal as well as more mind-flayers; she also saw a person in a chair...the person was Izzy, and she was dead. "Meeks!" A feminine voice shrieked and she recognized it as Elyxya's; she looked up from her wrestling match with Rain and her friend was running towards her with San-Raal close behind, "Turn and run!" The red-head pleaded. Meeks didn't care to argue, the last thing she wanted to do was remain in that room with all those brains on legs; she punched Rain in the side and pulled herself to her feet with the help of her weapon. Elyxya and San-Raal ran past Meeks, jumping over the fallen Rain, "Wait for me!!!" Meeks called and bolted along at their heels.

Nightshade's eyes bulged as she saw her teammates run the opposite direction. She began to panic and understood why they had fled; she looked over at her half-dying friend and, with a rush of adrenaline, charged forward through the mind-flayers that circled her and sliced open the arm of the one who hugged Pryzma. It shrieked silently and Pryzma crumbled into Nightshade's arms, "We're leaving!" She said to no one in particular then, forcing Pryzma to shape up, turned and fled from the room along with her slightly slower partner. 

***

Will and Masoj, frightened out of their minds, had bolted into the hallway and had run down in the opposite direction as the team had initially come. They felt weak, their magic felt as though it had been lost, and their heads ached with the residual psychic blast. The ran until they reached a new staircase...one somewhat shorter than they had encountered before. They stopped before it and caught their breath, casting nervous looks over their shoulders.

"Damn!" Masoj cursed and clutched at his head, "We ran right into a trap!" He let the absurdity of the statement speak for itself. Beside him, sucking in deep breaths, was Will, "Everyone's still back there! We just deserted our team!" He said, coming to term with reality. Indeed they had, and now they felt awful for it; they didn't even know where they were anymore. Masoj frowned concernedly and looked around the room; it was huge and empty, "So...where the hell are we?" He asked grimly, genuinely happy to be away from the illithids. Will shook his head and opened his mouth to answer the wizard, but another voice cut him off. 

"You are trespassing on my property." Dran Draggore said, his voice calm and controlled, even though his heart told him to grab the two fools and kill them on the spot. Will and Masoj whipped around to face the staircase, where Sindel and Dran stood quaintly. "You!!!" Will gasped and drew his longsword but did not advance on the high-priest, "You bastard!" He spat at the taller man. Masoj froze when he met Sindel's gaze; anger swelled up within him like an oil pit, Sindel was a traitor! And a wench! Dran's expression hardened, "I don't appreciate being insulted in my own home." He said seriously, glaring at Will with an air of contempt, "Where's the rest of you band of mercenaries? I'm sure there was more than just you and the mage." He asked with a raised eyebrow. Will regained his composure, but wavered when he stood straight, "They are not of your concern right now, Draggore. You have brought hell to my crew and you dare to put doubts in the minds of my friends concerning your role in this whole affair." He stated, his voice just as dead serious as Dran's had been a moment ago.

Dran was not impressed, "Than maybe your friends' are smarter than you, William." He retorted with an evil sneer, "Do you even realize what pain you've cost me? What damage you've brought to my temple? Or even what harm you've brought to my minions?" He asked, advancing on Will; the team's cleric drew his sword up and held it between him and Dran. "You are a fiend! You have killed innocent people! The Waterdeep loses sleep thinking of the atrocities that go on in this hole you call your temple!" Will dared to argue, finding it difficult to hold the high-priest's icy gaze without flinching. Near them, Sindel and Masoj continued to stare at one-another like statues. In a flash, Dran pulled a sword from beneath his flaming-red overcoat, "What have I told you about insulting me here!?" He cried, slapping Will's sword to the side and sending it flying across the room. He held the blade to Will's neck in his fury, "Who are you to decided who is the villain and who is the culprit in this affair? You obey the man who payed you and keep your mind shut out from all other ideas -- including the one that says you might have made a mistake!" He hissed at Will and narrowed his eyes, "You fight for the good of the people but...do you really know which side is which? Your behavior in the last week has not helped me to think you do!" He was so angry at the other cleric --and his team-- that he didn't even notice Sindel and Masoj lunging for each-other. 

The mage and the high-priestess hit the floor in a heap and tried desperately to hurt one-another. Masoj grabbed handfuls of Sindel's golden hair and pulled, "I hate you!" He yelped childishly, the whole thing resembling a kid-fight. Sindel flailed with her fists and succeeded in landing a few punches, "You're an arrogant fool! And a mooch!" She fought on and scratched deep lines across Masoj's neck. The mage howled and grabbed Sindel's arms, then began slamming the woman's back against the carpeted floor. Sindel continued to claw and flail with her fists. They would have went on until one of the two had died, but they were stopped before things got worse.

"Stop this now!" Dran hollered and tore Masoj off of Sindel with his free hand; the slender drow gritted his teeth and tried to jump back at Sindel, but a sword point touched his nose. "Alright then." Masoj gulped, meeting Dran's infuriated gaze; the man did not look human when he was angry, Masoj concluded. Will did not come to Masoj's aid as Dran helped Sindel to her feet, he seemed to be thinking something over --something important. Sindel gave Masoj a cold look and mouthed a particularly insulting set of words to him; the mage tore out of Will's grip and jumped Sindel a second time. Unfortunately, this time, Dran was close to Sindel; the high-priest launched a punch at the wizard that knocked the drow cold out. Masoj dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Dran looked down at Masoj's unmoving form and congratulated himself; from what he had just seen, Sindel had been right about the mage's bad attitude. He shot a glare at Will and, all of his earlier anger returning, handed his sword to Sindel, "Here," He said evenly, "do what you've always wanted to do with the cleric.". Sindel grasped the sword and backhanded the blade across Will's stomach; the cleric didn't even try to fight, he just collapsed. Dran took the bloodied sword back from Sindel's trembling hand, the woman looked up at him inquisitively, "H-he didn't even fight me!" She breathed, turning her head to stare triumphantly down at Will's body. Dran sheathed the weapon, his emerald eyes aglimmer, "My words finally got through to his mind; he must have realized his mistake." He answered quietly, "How sad that it had to take this long." He added without conviction. He turned and climbed the stairs to his personal chambers, Sindel close behind as always, "The others are coming." He declared simply.

***

Rain and the illithids did not follow the team when they left the room. The crew ran in the only direction that they could: the opposite in which they came. They stopped when they reached a large room where two bodies lay on the ground. Their pace slowed and their stomachs tightened.

"Will and Masoj!" Pryzma cried, recognizing the two motionless figures; she darted into the room and the rest of the crew followed close behind. They ran up to the two bodies and Meeks began to panic, "Not again!" She whined as her eyes set upon Masoj; she was reminded of the time in the Test where the mage had been poisoned, she hoped nothing serious had happened this time. She knelt down by his side and she immediately felt his breathing; she hugged him right there but he did not come to, even after being shaken a few times. "He won't wake up." Meeks sniffed at the rest of her team that had gathered by Will's body. 

"Neither will Will." Elyxya's dismal tone rang out, clear as a high-pitched bell. She had placed her hands on the cleric's large wound and her hands were now covered in warm blood. Meeks looked over to her side and inspected Will's corpse, "He's dead!" She cried in shock, wondering how this had happened and coming to the conclusion that at least she hadn't done it. "What are we gonna do?" Nightshade asked, panic-stricken to the extreme, "What happened?" She asked further more. The team looked over at Masoj and reveled in the fact that the little mage was still alive --unconscious, but still alive. "I don't know what happened, I really don't." San-Raal said, his voice meager and reserved, like it was when the group had first found him in the catacomb's dungeons. He looked up at the staircase to his side and his features hardened. 

"I think we've come to the end of our mission, people." Elyxya declared and got up from the two unmoving forms of her fallen teammates. She looked up at the staircase and frowned, "This is it, boys and girls." She breathed determinedly and unsheathed her scimitar. The crew joined at her sides and followed her gaze; Dran and Sindel stood gravely at the top of the stairs.


	22. Chapter 21

CHAPTER XXI 

End Game

"So it has come to this." Dran said darkly as he and Sindel descended the stairs towards the waiting group of dumbfounded warriors. Sindel gripped the cleric's arm in sudden nervosity, she felt edgy seeing her crew again...especially when they all glared at her like were doing then. "You all realize that if you destroy me, Darkmoon is not necessarily going to be yours." Dran went on, eyeing the party dismally, becoming aware of the clash that would surely follow.

"But we'll have rid the Waterdeep of a massive nuisance!" Elyxya called defiantly at the approaching clerics, startling her teammates in their silent disbelief. At her side, Meeks was preparing the blade of her weapon, but even she didn't notice how she slowly backed away from her oncoming enemies. Dran and Sindel reached the bottom of the stairs, "I still don't understand why it is that you cannot see the mistake you are making." The high-priest said annoyedly, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the crew before him, "If you kill me and take down my temple, you will be letting the bad guys' win; and wouldn't that be defeating the purpose of your mission? Would you be proud to know that you've all been a party to the greatest, unjust mass-murder the Waterdeep has ever seen? Sure you'd all be Khelben Blackstaff's favorites, but only because of your ignorance!" He fumed. 

The group stared for a moment and processed the information; then, Meeks, having processed nothing at all, spoke up, "You're just playing mind games with us!" She cried. The group stirred behind her. Beside Dran, Sindel's features hardened, "Meeks! Will you quit being your thick-skulled self and open up your mind for moment! Dran speaks the truth, and I'm not just saying that because I've been brainwashed for the past few days; Khelben is not what you all think he is. I've known that from the beginning, it was his station as archmage that justified his decision to send us all out after Darkmoon. We've been Khelben's pawns since the beginning! This is all a set-up!!!" She finished dramatically, in one last attempt at making her ex-team see the light. 

The members of the raiding party were absolutely lost in this whole affair; since the beginning of the mission, too many doubts had sunk in and now a huge decision had to be taken. Too huge. Too final. There was a symbolic staring fight between Dran, Sindel and the group. Pryzma, from the back, looked down at her side where Will's inert body lay, "Will's dead." The drowess declared, somewhat disturbed by the thought; she looked up at Dran and Sindel and shook her head, "Why did you kill Will?" She asked simply. Dran opened his mouth to respond but Sindel's sharp tongue lashed first, "Because he deserved it. He was an impediment; he would have driven you all into the depths of ignorance with his cursed faith in Khelben." She answered the sorceress, looking disdainfully down at the cleric's body. It was clear to the group that she had killed will.

"He was still one of our friends!" San-Raal snapped back at the high-priestess, "You had no right." He added, narrowing his eyes. This was going nowhere, everyone in the room then decided, the opinions on what to do next were too varied. Dran and Sindel watched the group intently, reading their expressions and trying to figure what would be the final outcome of the meeting. They were saddened and rather angry to find that the group would not understand their fault no matter how much breath was wasted on explanation, and in that case, there was only one thing to do...

"Goodbye then!" Dran said with a sneer and launched a fireball at the party. The spell was unexpected and the group was caught off-guard; they bolted to the sides and suffered only minor singes. Dran had crossed the line and now the time to fight had come. Meeks and Elyxya got up from the ground and drew their weapons, charging on Dran and Sindel. Sindel raised her hand and a set of light blue crystal irrupted from her fingertips, spreading out into a sheet; the crystals made contact with the two fighters and they found themselves unable to move. It was a paralysis spell. Gawking off to the side, San-Raal and Pryzma became nervous and frightened; they had fought monsters and clerics before, and that meant they could fight Dran and Sindel too! San-Raal jumped to his feet and executed a few quick motions with his hands; he shouted a single word and a lightning bolt sizzled towards Dran and his high-priestess. Sindel jumped to the side with haste but Dran did not budge, the spell hit him but caused no damage.

San-Raal swore loudly and came to the conclusion that magic did not affect Dran; he tried to figure why but decided to worry about it later as Dran drew a longsword from beneath his overcoat and stalked towards him. "Foolish wizard! You're almost as bad as the other one!" Dran spat and advanced on the little drow who drew a meager dagger from the sleeve of his thick robes. San-Raal felt a pang of hatred at the cleric for having mentioned Masoj and used the adrenaline it summoned for him; with a cry, he flicked his wrist and flung the dagger at Dran. Dran smoothly side-stepped and smiled wide. San-Raal gulped.

"Oh no you don't!" Nightshade mumbled to herself as she saw San-Raal's predicament; she bolted towards Dran and swung for his side. Dran whipped away from San-Raal and deflected Nightshade's thrust. Figuring the wizard was powerless over him and that he could wait, Dran engaged in sword play with the raven-haired thief. Nightshade soon wished she hadn't been so quick to play the hero; Dran was not all that quick, but he was unusually strong, his blows causing Nightshade's grip to falter and quake. Nightshade cut low, desperately wanting to get a hit in, but Dran caught her blade with his and raised the two swords high, making it harder for the thief to keep her strength at its largest intensity. Roughly, Dran pushed Nightshade away and then charged her; the two fought once more.

Near the staircase, Pryzma was facing off with Sindel, "Is this what you really want, Pryzma? Do you really want to kill one of your friends?" Sindel asked the drowess, in an attempt to discourage her ex-teammate from engaging into combat with her. Pryzma laughed in her face, a shrill, cold laugh, "It would only be fair pay for what you did to mine!" She cried and pushed Sindel against the wall behind her. The high-priestess clenched her teeth and unsheathed the sword at her hip, "Have it your way!" She hissed and jumped at Pryzma. Pryzma cast a translocation spell on herself and appeared about thirty feet away from Sindel; she summoned magical power and launched a fireball of her own, figuring that, since Sindel had dived to the side when San-Raal had cast a lightning bolt a few moments ago, she didn't have the same magical resistance as Dran. The searing ball of flames shot forth and engulfed Sindel in flames, sending the priestess back against the wall. Pryzma was not ready to celebrate yet, and for good reason; a few seconds later, Sindel rolled out of the inferno, most of her hair singed and her robes tattered. "You bitch!" Sindel screeched, flames still licking the hem of her dark blue robes. She shot her hands forward and a column of fire shot down from the ceiling, injuring Pryzma as much as she had been injured. Pryzma tucked out of the column as the thing disappeared and faced Sindel with clenched fists, "Now it's on!" She called and the two ran at each-other, one with partially-flaming robes and the other with greatly-shortened hair.

The hall was a pandemonium. San-Raal forced himself to ignore the commotion and focus on the spell he wished to summon. He stood before the two immobile warriors that had been the first to suffer the full effects of a spell, "I can still work my magic -- even if it isn't on the enemy!" He mumbled to himself as he busied himself at flipping through his spellbook. He found the page, licked his lips anxiously and summoned the spell, waving his hands around the still forms of Meeks and Elyxya. Within moments, Sindel's paralysis spell was broken and the two fighters regained freedom of movement, "Oh my god!" Elyxya gasped as she looked around the room. Dran and Nightshade were busily deflecting each-other's sword blows, Pryzma and Sindel (if that was indeed them...for they looked somewhat different after the consecutive fire spells) were on the ground trying to throttle one-another, and Masoj still lay unconscious on the red-carpeted floor by the staircase.

"Thank you, San-Raal." Elyxya said to the smiling drow then kissed his lips soundly, "How long have we been out? Are you okay?" She asked hastily, Meeks was eager to jump into battle at her side. San-Raal frowned deeply, "I'm fine. You haven't been out for very long; I discovered something very displeasing: Dran is immune to magic." He declared with a grunt. Meeks did not hear. Elyxya's jaw dropped and then she searched out Dran and Nightshade, "Then we'll have to gang up on him!" She said bravely. Meeks was already gone.

"Help!" Nightshade cried between gasps of air, fearing that she would soon be unable to hold Dran any longer; luckily, she had suffered no wounds...or inflicted any. Meeks' husky voice was heard yelling barbarically and the blade of a polearm sliced at Dran's side from behind, help was here! Elyxya was running in to join the battle, her hope rose as she watched Nightshade and Meeks fight against a now over-matched Dran.

San-Raal had run over to the unconscious Masoj's side and now knelt by his companion. Masoj had to be wakened! Help was needed! Feeling a little odd doing so, San-Raal slapped Masoj across the face twice. The other wizard did not wake. San-Raal began to grumble and he roughly shook Masoj, then he began to yell in his ear; still nothing happened. "Come on!" San-Raal yelled restlessly, impatiently and slapped his friend some more. With a few more slaps, Masoj finally came to; he frowned up at San-Raal, "Slap me one more time and I'll kill you." Masoj warned. San-Raal found himself smiling at the threat but kept nothing from Masoj, "Sure you can, if I don't get killed out here first!" He said cynically, waving his arm out to show the scene going on in the large hall. Masoj pulled himself to a sitting position and looked around at the room, his eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped, "Oh no." He whimpered meekly. San-Raal stood up and pulled Masoj with him, "We have to help. And don't even think of using magic on Dran, he's immune." He said simply. 

From the left side of the room, Sindel and Pryzma ripped and tore at each-other, their swords having been thrown away and labeled as pointless. Pryzma straddled Sindel and drew her fist back for a punch; Sindel wriggled away from the target and Pryzma smashed her hand on the floor, howling in pain. Loud cries sounded from the center of the hall and Sindel found the time to look and see what was going on, she was horrified at what she saw. Dran was pulling away, intensely injured, from Elyxya, Meeks and Nightshade; he amazingly found the strength to fight off some of the attacks that kept coming but Sindel came to the conclusion that he would not last much longer. "Dran!" She yelled at the top of her lungs and with a burst of fury-based strength, she tore out of Pryzma's grasp and got to her feet. Pryzma got up to continue her fight, but Sindel had already taken flight to the center of the room where the larger battle was happening.

When Sindel got to Dran, the cleric collapsed to the ground in a bloodied heap. Sindel threw herself to the ground and wrapped her arms around Dran protectively, unable to find words to say what she needed to say. Dran leaned on Sindel and spoke, not to her, but to the crew, "Do...not cele...brate yet, fools." Dran gasped, throwing his sword at his three assailants and grinning devilishly. Something in the man's emerald eyes gleamed and warned the team to back away, they got the idea that something bad was going to happen. "Because something wicked this way comes." Dran cursed, his normally booming voice weakened; turned for a moment to look up at Sindel, he seemed thoughtful. The high-priestess smiled a melancholy smile down at him and Dran seemed even more thoughtful than before, "I do have a secret weapon, my dear." He said softly and suddenly pulled away from her grasp.

Masoj and San-Raal, who approached the center of the room wearing wan smiles, stopped in their tracks and stared at what they thought was the death of Dran Draggore. The high-priest shape-shifted into the form of a great red dragon and rose to his feet, than spat fire at the group of warriors gathered around. The two mages screamed their hearts out and ran to the sides as the searing flame engulfed a good third of the room. A dragon! This was completely uncalled-for!

Sindel stood unmoving in the center of the room. She mumbled to herself as she watched the great dragon sweep the room with its gaze, waiting to see what condition its victims were in. A whole set of thoughts assailed her brain then and a whole bunch of puzzle-pieces began to click into shape. Sindel just couldn't believe her eyes.

The members of the party had taken cover in the far-most corners of the hall. Meeks and Elyxya stared at each-other and wondered what to do next. Nightshade and Pryzma trembled together in a corner. San-Raal and Masoj, on the other hand, rejoiced at this unexpected turn of events. Their magic would work on the dragon! They simply knew it for a fact, and this made the two mages ecstatic. To their demise though, they realized that they would not have the time to cast the more powerful spells, the ones that would have been the more obvious choices. They prepared their spells and, figuring that they could hold off the dragon until the fighters came in, started off to face the wyrm. 

They had to act quick. The team watched the two suicidal-looking drow advance on the dragon and utter a few words. Successive bolts of lighting showered the red dragon and caused it to thrash in pain. The two wizards did not stop the magic. As was expected, the other party members ran to the attack, staying perilously close to the dragon even as it thrashed. Even more caution was needed when it began to spit fire at the party. Meeks and Elyxya hacked at the wyrm's flanks and deftly avoided being smashed to the ground; Meeks suffered a few lacerations from being too close to the claws but continued to swing her blade methodically.

Sindel continued to watch, helpless like she had never been, until the dragon fell to the ground and her ex-team scattered about. She screamed and ran to the fallen dragon, pushing down those in her way. Tired and weary from their fight, the party did nothing to stop her. Sindel knelt once more before Dran and decided to get answers to her questions, "Dran? You were never human, were you?" She asked softly, resting her hands on the wyrm's scaly neck. Barely breathing, Dran spoke, "No. I didn't mean to keep it from you; no one knows...not even Khelben." He answered in the same cavernous voice as he had in his human form, "Didn't want to frighten anyone." He added. Sindel tightened her lips and swallowed thickly. A whole bunch of questions got their answer at that moment; the temple's insignia, the lovely statuettes, the fact that Dran was always hesitant to talk about his past, and especially...the high-priest's emerald eyes. She scolded herself for not having noticed earlier, it had been so obvious! A new thought came into her mind then: that of the Prophecy Dran had read to her a few days ago. It had spoken of a serpent-priest and Sindel had not understood...things have finally become clear. With that out of the way, she realized that if the Prophecy had spoken true, then she had been a fool to wave it away when Dran had shown it to her. She pondered the Prophecy as she felt the last of Dran's life slowly slip away in his laborious breathing,"When the priest of serpents strays and finds the daughter of vice and virtue, an empire will be built. Foes to friends, bliss. Friends to foes, chaos. When all seems lost, the Child Who is Not will come and take the blessed city's throne". This was all to much for her!!! She would surely go mad! 

"Khelben will reward you all greatly for your deeds, your...ignorant deeds." Dran breathed, his voice raspy now. Sindel's hands trembled as she felt Dran take his last breath; a tear rolled down her cheek and she frowned, "This can't be!" She whispered to herself, "The Prophecy writes of an empire...Dran!" She choked and leaned her cheek against the wyrm's scaly flesh. 

"I feel like we've done something wrong." Meeks whimpered suddenly, hugging her halberd to her chest. Sindel's head whipped up and the priestess shot the fighter a wicked glance, "Now you notice!" She spat vindictively and Meeks lowered her gaze. Sindel glared at everyone in turn, letting them all know what they had done and how stupid they were to have done it. "Go back to Khelben and claim your god forsaken money!" Sindel cried suddenly, "But don't forget to kill me first! Oh, and you might as well crush the temple while you're at it!" She added sarcastically, tears flowing steadily down her cheeks. She held out her arms and gritted her teeth, "Go ahead!" She taunted them, "Cowards. You're all a bunch of cowards! Cowards for not having taken the initiative to stop and think about what you were doing! Cowards for having followed Will's biased train of thought! Cowards for not killing me now!" She went on passionately.

The team shifted uncomfortably. When the team looked into Sindel's eyes, they saw what they should have seen a very long time ago: their mistake.


	23. Chapter 22

CHAPTER XXII 

Back to Square One

San-Raal and Masoj advanced on Sindel, their lips silently reciting the incantations to quick-working death spells; if the priestess wanted to die, than she would. Sindel's gaze held that of the two mages' with unwavering intensity. Just as the climactic words of the spells were uttered, Masoj and San-Raal were held back, rather unexpectedly, by Meeks and Elyxya.

"No." Elyxya breathed, staying San-Raal's arm; the warrior-woman looked over at Sindel and noted the high-priestess' chiseled expression, "We've gone far enough." She added on a determined tone. San-Raal slumped in her grasp, forcing himself to come to term with the reality of the moment. All the remaining party members lowered their gaze and spent some time in personal reflection of the past week's mind-wracking adventure. It was hard for them to grasp the fact that everything they had strived over was for naught. It was even harder to grasp the fact that their indecisiveness and negligence had cost them a few party members as well as their dignity. 

Sindel stayed protectively close to the lifeless body of Dran Draggore, "Appearances can be deceiving, wouldn't you all agree?" She declared to her ex-team as much as to herself; her voice was no longer as passionate as it has been a moment ago, now it was dull and dismal. The group responded with a series of deep breaths and questioning looks. Sindel returned her gaze to the red dragon and soon after, Nightshade spoke up, "We didn't know what to do, Sindel. You have to understand that." She said softly. The priestess' head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired thief, "It's not like I didn't try to warn you all!" She cried, the passion returning.

"So what do we do now?" Pryzma asked before Sindel could ramble on and make the team feel worse than they did at the moment. There was an uneasy silence and then Sindel offered a solution, "You will undo what you have done," She began, finally rising to her feet, "You will redress your wrongs." She looked down at Dran and smiled lightly then looked over at the team, "As far as I know, the resurrection chamber by the entrance lobby still holds the power to raise the dead -- at least once or twice more. Am I right?" She asked the group. Heads nodded their approval. Meeks, ever worried about the technicalities of things, expressed her concern, "How do you expect us to carry Dran down there? And...we teleported here, we don't exactly know how to make it back to the resurrection chamber." She pointed out, still feeling odd about what they were about to do.

With a wave of her hand, Sindel swept aside the question, "Do not fret, I can fix everything." She closed her eyes and held her hands, palms down, over Dran's body. A silver stream of magic erupted from her palms and circled the draconic form, wrapping it in a bright sheet of light; within seconds, the glow ceased. In the place of the majestic dragon lay the lifeless human form of Dran Draggore. Sindel beckoned for the six teammates to gather around her, "You teleported here, and that is how I will get you out." She spread her arms out and snapped her fingers. 

Seconds later, they found themselves within the familiar resurrection chamber. The group felt a kind of relief at being back in the safety of the lower chambers of Temple Darkmoon. Before anyone could say anything to deviate her path, Sindel bolted to the large golden cross at the end of the room and knelt down before it. She mumbled a few prayers and the group watched in awe and discomfort the re-animation of the temple's High-Priest. When the deed was finished, Sindel whipped around and knelt at Dran's side, aesthetically verifying her work. The crew crowded around.

An inquisitive expression crept onto Dran's features as he looked around at the group of warriors surrounding him. He looked up at Sindel and raised an eyebrow. Sindel rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly, "They saw their mistake." She said simply. Dran's jaw dropped, a gesture he would have preferred to omit, but he was too impressed to do otherwise, "H-how?" He fumbled, confused due to his sudden resurrection, "How can you be sure?" He asked skeptically. 

Elyxya answered the priest's question, "I don't know if you noticed, but you're not dead anymore; that could be your first indication that we've seen our mistake." She began on a derisive tone, "Secondly, well...we saw --something-- through Sindel and the whole battle that..that we just couldn't help but hearken to. We were confused for a very long while, I must admit, and the more either side fought to clear things up for us, the worse things got." The whole crew listened to Elyxya now, finding clarity of thought in her words, "We realized that we were wrong, and we're...sorry...for it. It was a real shame that things had to get so bad in order for us to smarten up." She finished on a sad note. 

There was silence for a while. Dran looked around at everyone in turn, trying to weigh their leader's conviction. Sindel watched him do so, herself convinced of her ex-team's sincerity; she had spent enough time with them to know that their words were true -- even if they had never been on good terms with one-another. Having satisfied himself with his staring. Dran got to his feet and brushed off his overcoat, "It's nice to see that you've all seen the light." He frowned suddenly, "Now, I want you all to swear that you will never assault me or my temple ever again, and that you will stay away from the fight going on between Khelben Blackstaff and I." He remarked pointedly. Six heads nodded in accordance with the high-priest's words.

The room felt awkward now. No one knew quite what to do, especially the six party members. "We can't go back to Khelben, he'll have us killed for treachery'. What happens now? We spend our lives as fugitives and leave the Waterdeep?" San-Raal asked emphatically, seeing nothing but darkness for his future. Beside him, Masoj did not seem too affected; in truth, the wizard wanted by all costs to return to Menzoberranzan. He had not enjoyed his stay on the surface and desired to return home; but returning home would mean leaving Meeks, and Masoj could not live with that.

Dran shook his head, "No, I will not have you running about the streets like fools -- even if you all deserve as much for your despicable deeds." He began then took a deep breath before saying his next words, "You have proven great worth and I, having suffered the wrath of your skills, find no shame in declaring you all as a fine group of warriors. In light of this, I offer all six of you a permanent home here within Darkmoon as the temple's champions. It's the least you could do to repay the troubles you've caused." He declared tentatively, hoping that he was not making a mistake due to a measure of greed. Sindel's hand tensed into a fist and then slackened as she realized that Darkmoon could actually use a set of fine combatants --especially if Khelben would continue to pull tricks like the one he had with the raiding party.

"I move to accept the invitation." Pryzma said after a while, stepping forth from the crew. She did not find any love lost in remaining within Waterdeep instead of returning to Ched-Nasad; she figured her life would probably last longer if she remained on the surface anyway. Next to accept was Nightshade, who rested her hand on her friend's shoulder and smirked conservatively, "I also accept." She piped; the life of a thief was best when properly employed -- and besides, she had a lot more snooping to do around Darkmoon. Dran nodded thankfully at the two ladies, recognizing their worth.

"Count me in." Meeks cheered happily and bounded to Nightshade and Pryzma's side. She grasped Elyxya's arm as she went and pulled her along, "Me too." Elyxya said with a chuckle and pried Meeks' hand from her arm. The two women looked expectantly over at Masoj and San-Raal. Dran and Sindel looked expectantly over at Masoj and San-Raal. The two drow wizards stood still; they did not like clergy, and teaming up with Sindel again, even if it wasn't really teaming up with her, did not sound like a good idea to them. It was their decision, they both knew, but there was so much tied to it...

Meeks exhaled loudly and walked over to where Masoj stood biting his lower lip, "Stay, silly mage; I don't want you to go away." She said childishly and grasped Masoj's sleeve tightly. San-Raal and Elyxya stared at each-other and figured things out non-verbally; the connection between them was almost tangible. With a sigh of surrender, Masoj wrapped an arm around Meeks' waist, "Fine." He said and pulled her to his side. Elyxya smiled, San-Raal mimicked her; the team had been won. The two walked over to each-other and hugged tightly, burying their faces in each-other's hair.

Sindel and Dran shared a sigh of relief.

***

A messenger tore into Khelben's chambers later that night, his face wracked with concern, "Sir!" He yelped, nearly tripping on the small table near the door to Khelben's studying room. In his hand, the messenger held a parchment with some quick scribblings on it.

Khelben, who hated being disturbed during his reading, called rudely to the man, "What?! What is it?" He barked. The messenger halted before the archmage's high-backed chair and unrolled the parchment, "The spy you sent out to check on the reason for the lack of connection between you and your raiding party has some disturbing news!" He panted. Khelben frowned deeply, "What kind of disturbing news?" He asked inquisitively. The messenger licked his lips nervously, "Your raiding party is no longer...well...yours, sir." He said with a small smile of irony. Khelben got to his feet and towered over the smaller man, "What are you saying?" He demanded, his tone growing more and more afflicted. The messenger backed away, "The group you sent out about a week ago...they've betrayed you sir. They work for Darkmoon now." He swallowed thickly. 

Khelben's face contorted into an expression of utter disbelief, "What!?!" He screamed and the messenger began to move towards the door, "Is there no one worthy of being trusted any more?! How could this have happened?!" He went on, speaking to himself as much as to the messenger who was partially gone by now. Khelben clenched his fists, "When you want something done you have to do it yourself!" He rambled. 

The messenger shut the door soundlessly after him and left the fuming archmage to his own thoughts.


End file.
